Turkish Airlines is the latest airline to join Star Alliance, a global airline alliance which includes carriers such as Singapore Airlines, United, Air New Zealand and Air China.

Turkey's national flag carrier adds 31 destinations to the network - mainly in Turkey, central Asia and the Middle East.

The airline is one of the fastest-growing in Europe with passenger traffic growth of 23.5 per cent, according to the Association of European Airlines.

It carried nearly 20 million passengers and ended 2007 with a fleet of 102 aircraft.

The carrier plans to fly to 11 new destinations and add an additional 22 aircraft to its fleet by the end of the year.

Turkish Airlines said joining Star Alliance was a step towards becoming a major player in the world of aviation.

"Joining the alliance is an important step for the airline's future, building on its strength of bridging Europe and Asia through its Istanbul hub," Turkish Airlines chief executive Temel Kotil said.

Star Alliance chief executive Jaan Albrecht said the alliance had gained a new member carrier with a strong home market which was also one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

The Star Alliance, which currently has 20 members, has lacked an Australian partner since the collapse of Ansett in 2001.

Qantas is a member of rival airline alliance oneworld which includes carriers such as British Airways, American Airlines and Cathay Pacific.