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LEGENDARY giver of gifts Santa Claus has confirmed that he will not be entering Turkish or Syrian airspace this year due to a no-fly zone being put in place.

Speaking at a rare press briefing this morning in the North Pole, Saint Nicholas apologised to the children of both states for not being able to give them presents, but promised to visit once the flight restrictions have been lifted.

“It breaks my heart to have to say this, but I will not be going anywhere near Turkey or Syria this Christmas Eve,” he said in an emotional statement. “It is far too dangerous and my reindeer are prone to surface to air missiles due to the carbon dioxide gases they admit mid-flight.”

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan later acknowledged Mr. Claus’s decision, and thanked him for adhering to his country’s no-fly zone.

“I wish everyone could do the same,” he pointed out. “You see, even Santa Claus knows the rules, and he breaks into millions of homes every year. Rules are rules… you hear that Vladimir, huh?”

The move is expected to shorten Santa’s overall flight time by one hour, depending on weather and air traffic.