An Egyptian and a Turk hijacked a Turkish passenger plane.  The Atlas Jet airplane departed from Northern Cyprus and was headed to Istanbul, Turkey.  Fifteen minutes after takeoff, the hijackers approached the cockpit and threatened the crew with a knife and an alleged bomb.  In reality, the alleged bomb was only modeled clay with wires attached to it.  Upon the threat, the crew members responded immediately.  Also, the hijackers claimed to be affiliated with Al-Qaeda and tried to redirect the flight to Iran.  However, the plane did not have enough fuel to fly to Tehran.  Thus, the hijackers allowed the crew to make an emergency crash landing in Antalya, Turkey to refuel the plane.  Immediately after landing, many of the crew and passengers escaped through initial negotiations with Turkish security forces.  However, the hijackers kept six of the passengers as hostages in a four hour holdout.  Eventually these hostages were also freed.  All 136 passengers and six crew members escaped basically unharmed. 

The hijackers’ motives were unclear.  The Gulf Daily News reported that Turkish Cypriot authorities believed that the hijackers were Iranians protesting American polices.  The Egyptian, Mommen Abdul Aziz Talikh, was known to have contact with Al-Qaeda.  He was a Saudi Arabian prison mate of an organizer of the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.  Talikh also was trained at an Al-Qaeda camp.  Less is known about the Turkish kidnapper.  The hijackers gave themselves up and are in the custody of Turkish Security forces, along with another passenger who the police believe was involved in the hijacking.

People’s Daily Online.  Many of passengers manage to flee from hijacked plane in Turkey (2).  18 August 2007.

People’s Daily Online.  Turkish aircraft hijacked en route from northern Cyprus to Turkey: TV.  18 August 2007.

People’s Daily Online.  Some passengers injured as escaping from hijacked plane in Turkey.  19 August 2007.

People’s Daily Online.  Many of passengers manage to flee from hijacked plane in Turkey.  18 August 2007.

Gulf Daily News. Turkish plane hijack bomb ‘block of clay’.  20 August 2007.

Gulf Daily News. Hostages freed in hijack dilemma. 19 August 2007.

Reuters.  Turkish plane hijack hostages freed.  18 August 2007.