Turkish Airlines (THY) paid homage to the international search and rescue teams, including their life-saving dogs, by flying them back to their destinations in business class on Wednesday.

Chairperson of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines Ahmet Bolat said, "We have decided all crews, including the search and rescue dogs, will fly business class back to their countries, as an appreciation for their heroic efforts in Türkiye."

After the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes jolted southeastern Türkiye and claimed thousands of lives, the trained dogs, who helped rescue many people from the rubble with teams in the disaster area, are now heading home after completing their rescue efforts.

The whole episode came to the fore when a photo of life-saving dogs traveling in the cabin of the company's plane instead of a cargo compartment was shared on social media. Bolat verified the scene and issued a statement.