The hijackers being investigated asserted that they "want to protest the US and nobody will be hurt and our voice will be heard by everybody." They said they hijacked the plane on behalf of al-Qaeda, but no information has turned up connecting them to the organization. They also confessed to a desire to become well-known. The hijackers had asked that the plane be diverted to İran or Syria, but pilots landed the aircraft at the Antalya airport near the Mediterranean coast, saying they needed to refuel. The hijackers then surrendered peacefully and without bloodshed.
The identities of the hijackers were announced by Interior Minister Osman Güneş as Mehmet Reşat Özlü, of Turkish origin, and Mommen Abdul Aziz Talik, who was carrying a Syrian passport but was believed to be Palestinian. Güneş also said their motives were being investigated and that the alleged bomb turned out to be made of play dough.
Hijacker Talik apparently apologized to the Turkish people after the five-hour drama came to an end.
After landing, the pilots evacuated the plane through the cockpit window to prevent the hijackers from forcing them to fly and shut down the engines. Most of the passengers had managed to escape from rear exit of the plane though the hijackers were releasing women and children at the front exit.
Though the incident passed with no bloodshed, some passengers were injured during their frantic escape, including one with a broken pelvis. While the hijackers are still being investigated, the Security General Directorate is searching Interpol to determine if they have records while the intelligence department is inquiring into the claimed al-Qaeda ties.
A chronology of recent hijackings in Turkey
A chronology of recent hijackings and attempted hijackings of Turkish planes, mostly by people falsely claiming to be carrying arms or explosives:
August 18, 2007 -- Two hijackers claiming to be carrying a bomb hijacked a Turkish passenger plane heading from Northern Cyprus to İstanbul. The hijackers demanded that the plane be diverted to Iran but the pilots landed the plane at the Antalya airport near Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.
April 10, 2007 -- A Turkish man claiming to be carrying an explosive device threatened to blow up a private Pegasus Airlines jet traveling from the predominantly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir to İstanbul unless the flight is diverted to Iran. Pilots landed the plane at the Ankara airport, where the man gave himself up and was arrested.
Oct. 3, 2006 -- A Turkish army deserter claiming to have bombs strapped to his body hijacked a Turkish Airlines plane during a flight from Tirana, Albania, to İstanbul. The hijacker, who had no bombs, released all passengers unharmed after fighter jets escorted the aircraft to an Italian airport. The man was seeking asylum because he feared persecution in his Muslim homeland after his conversion to Christianity and wanted Pope Benedict XVI’s protection.
March 29, 2003 -- A Turkish man used candles disguised as dynamite to hijack a Turkish Airlines flight after it took off from İstanbul so he could visit his girlfriend in Germany. The plane was diverted to Athens. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan persuaded him to release the 202 passengers on board.
Feb. 7, 2003 -- A passenger claiming to have dynamite held two flight attendants hostage onboard a plane at the İstanbul airport before police stormed the aircraft and freed them. The dynamite sticks turned out to be candles.
Oct. 29, 1998 -- Security forces stormed a Turkish Airlines plane on the tarmac of the Ankara airport, shooting and killing the hijacker -- a member of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) armed with a hand grenade who held 38 people hostage. The man hijacked the plane to protest Turkey’s fight against the terrorist PKK in the Southeast of the country. No passengers were injured.
Sept. 14, 1998 -- An Islamic militant used a toy gun to hijack a Turkish Airlines flight to the Black Sea port of Trabzon to protest a ban on Islamic-style head coverings at Turkey’s universities and the war in Chechnya. Authorities convinced him to surrender and release all 76 passengers.
Feb. 24, 1998 -- A man carrying a teddy bear he claimed was stuffed with explosives commandeered a Turkish Airlines flight from Adana, in southern Turkey, to Ankara, demanding to be flown to Iran. The man was overpowered by other passengers and it was discovered that there were no explosives.
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