TURKEY: High security at Istanbul airport after bomb threat

Record ID: 357735

  • Title: TURKEY: High security at Istanbul airport after bomb threat
  • Date: 7th February 2014
  • Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (FEBRUARY 7, 2014) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) EXTERIOR OF SABIHA GOKCEN AIRPORT TARMAC AIRPORT PERSONNEL ON TARMAC SECURITY GUARD AT GATE POLICE CAR AND OTHER VEHICLES ON TARMAC PEOPLE ON TARMAC FIRE TRUCK DRIVING IN TARMAC VARIOUS OF POLICE VEHICLES EXITING AIRPORT POLICE INSIDE AIRPORT COMPLEX PASSENGER BUSES INSIDE AIRPORT COMPLEX VEHICLES INSIDE AIRPORT
  • Embargoed: 22nd February 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Crime,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAB07WRJ9GADANPUZ1UP641RE3L
  • Story Text: Turkish special forces seized a passenger who was suspected of making a bomb threat and trying to hijack a plane, demanding to go to the Winter Olympics venue of Sochi, CNN Turk and other Turkish media said on Friday (February 7).
    Turkey scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to accompany the Pegasus Airlines plane as it landed at the airport after a flight from the Ukrainian city of Kharkov.
    Some media reports said the suspect had been taken away for questioning but one official at the Sabiha Gokcen airport in Istanbul said the suspect had not yet been seized.
    The passenger was believed to have drunk alcohol and was calmed down by the crew and persuaded to let the plane, a Boeing 737-800, land in Istanbul at 6:02 pm (1602 GMT), according to Dogan news agency.
    An official from Turkey's transport ministry said there were 110 passengers on board and confirmed that a bomb threat had been made but said the plane had landed safely.
    Security teams were continuing inspections on the plane, the ministry said in a statement.
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