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Hijacking Ends Peacefully in Turkey

Pair protesting US surrender after passengers and pilots flee

By Wesley Oliver,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 18, 2007 9:21 AM CDT

(Newser) – Two hijackers of a Turkish plane claiming to be protesting US foreign policy surrendered yesterday after nearly all 136 people on board fled from the tarmac unharmed and the rest were released, the BBC reports. The men, believed to be a Turkish national and a Palestinian, tried to force their way into the cockpit after the Atlas Jet took off from northern Cyprus to divert the craft to Iran.

The pilot landed the plane, originally bound for Istanbul, in southern Turkey, claiming it needed to be refueled. As the hijackers allowed women and children to leave, almost everyone else, including the pilots, rushed out to safety. Passengers did not report seeing guns but said the hijackers had a package that might have been a bomb.

Passengers leave a plane belonging to the private Atlas-Jet airline company at the Antalya airport in southwestern Turkey Saturday Aug. 18, 2007. Hijackers claiming to have bombs and to be members of al-Qaida hijacked thr Turkish passenger plane heading from northern Cyprus to Istanbul, Saturday. The hijackers had asked that...
Passengers leave a plane belonging to the private Atlas-Jet airline company at the Antalya airport in southwestern Turkey Saturday Aug. 18, 2007. Hijackers claiming to have bombs and to be members of...   (Associated Press)
Passengers leave a plane belonging to the private Atlas-Jet airline company at the Antalya airport in southwestern Turkey Saturday Aug. 18, 2007. Hijackers claiming to have bombs and to be members of al-Qaida hijacked thr Turkish passenger plane heading from northern Cyprus to Istanbul, Saturday. The hijackers had asked that...
Passengers leave a plane belonging to the private Atlas-Jet airline company at the Antalya airport in southwestern Turkey Saturday Aug. 18, 2007. Hijackers claiming to have bombs and to be members of...   (Associated Press)
Turkish security officials, raising their hands, talk to one of the  hijackers (blue shirt at centre) next to the Atlas-Jet passenger plane on the tarmac at the Antalya International Airport in Antalya, Turkey,  Saturday, Aug. 18, 2007 while waiting for the second hijacker to disembark. Two men who hijacked a...
Turkish security officials, raising their hands, talk to one of the hijackers (blue shirt at centre) next to the Atlas-Jet passenger plane on the tarmac at the Antalya International Airport in Antalya,...   (Associated Press)
A hijacker (blue shirt, next to slide) surrenders to Turkish security officials, on the left raising their hands, next to the hijacked Atlas-Jet passenger plane on the tarmac at the Antalya International Airport in Antalya, Turkey,  Saturday, Aug. 18, 2007 while the second man waits to disembark. Two men who...
A hijacker (blue shirt, next to slide) surrenders to Turkish security officials, on the left raising their hands, next to the hijacked Atlas-Jet passenger plane on the tarmac at the Antalya International...   (Associated Press)
An ambulance waits next to the hijacked Atlas-Jet passenger plane at Antalya International airport in the southern Turkish city of Antalya, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2007. Two hijackers claiming to be carrying a bomb hijacked a Turkish passenger plane heading from northern Cyprus to Istanbul. The hijackers had asked that the...
An ambulance waits next to the hijacked Atlas-Jet passenger plane at Antalya International airport in the southern Turkish city of Antalya, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2007. Two hijackers claiming to be carrying...   (Associated Press)
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