Two men who hijacked a Turkish airliner flying from Tirana to Istanbul have surrendered after the Boeing 737 landed at Brindisi in southern Italy.
A man who hijacked a Turkish airliner flying from Tirana to Istanbul has surrendered after the Boeing 737 landed at Brindisi in southern Italy.
The motive for their action is unclear, with conflicting reports of either a protest against the Pope or an attempt to seek asylum in Italy.
First reports suggested there were two hijackers, protesting against the Pope, but the one man now in custody is a Turkish army deserter seeking asylum.
Reports say Italian fighter planes forced the airliner to land.
Italian police are checking reports that he may have had an accomplice.
All the Turkish Airlines plane's 107 passengers - including beauty contest entrants - are said to be unhurt.
All the Turkish Airlines plane's 107 passengers - including beauty contest entrants - are said to be unhurt.
We saw a man wearing track-suit bottoms and a hat go to the cockpit door and pause there, thinking Ermir HoxhaPassenger, speaking by mobile phone from plane
We saw a man wearing track-suit bottoms and a hat go to the cockpit door and pause there, thinking Ermir HoxhaPassenger, speaking by mobile phone from plane
The hijackers were reported to have been protesting against the Pope's planned visit to Turkey in November.
Greek, then Italian fighters, were scrambled to intercept and escort the airliner after reports of the incident emerged while it was in Greek air space at 1758 (1458 GMT).
However, confirming the surrender, Brindisi Police Chief Salvatore De Paolis told Reuters news agency that the two men wanted political asylum.
Two Italian F-16s reportedly forced the plane to land in Brindisi where the hijacker, named as Hakan Ekinci, surrendered after negotiations with police.
A Greek defence official who spoke to Reuters said the plane had entered Greek air space at 1758 (1458 GMT) and four Greek fighters had been scrambled to escort it.
Initial reports suggested that two hijackers had wanted to deliver a message to Pope Benedict, angry at his recent comments in a lecture in Germany which appeared to link Islam and violence.
The Italian air force in turn sent up two F-16s to intercept the plane, and reportedly forced it to land.
The pontiff is due to visit Turkey in November.
'Christian convert'
Army deserter
Both hijackers are said by Turkish media to be Turks.
Hakan Ekinci is a conscientious objector who had run away to Albania during military service in the Turkish army, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports.
Candan Karlitekin, chairman of Turkish Airlines' board of directors, said no-one had been hurt and the hijackers had apparently not threatened passengers.
Hakan Ekinci faced arrest in Istanbul
Asked if the hijacking was a protest against the papal visit, Mr Karliteken told Turkish TV channel NTV: "The cockpit was told that it was a protest of this nature."
He was seeking political asylum there, saying he had converted to Christianity eight years ago and could no longer be forced to serve in a Muslim army.
A speech by Pope Benedict XVI, in which he quoted a 14th-Century Byzantine emperor who had suggested a link between Islam and violence, sparked angry protests in Turkey and other mainly Muslim countries last month.
He charted his efforts to gain asylum in letters to a well-known Turkish pacifist group on the internet.
But Turkish television later said one of the hijackers had converted to Christianity and was a conscientious objector, Reuters reports.
According to his most recent letter posted last month, he believed his application for asylum had been refused and he was about to be forced to return home.
It said he had sent a letter to the Pope in late August, asking for his help to avoid compulsory military service in Turkey.
There is another letter from the same Hakan Ekinci on the Internet - this one an address to Pope Benedict, our correspondent adds.
It quoted the letter as reading: "I am a Christian and I do not want to serve in a Muslim army."
In it the soldier pleads with the Pope for help with his asylum claim as a Christian.
The Vatican says it has been keep informed of developments by the authorities. They insist that despite concerns over the Pope's safety for his forthcoming trip, they are still planning to go ahead.
Again he says he has been forced to join the army against his will and claims he was imprisoned and ill-treated for refusing.
The Turkish foreign ministry confirmed for the BBC that the hijacker, who is 28, was on the run from the army.
Separately, Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said that Mr Ekinci had faced arrest and transfer to the military authorities on arrival in Istanbul.
Mr Guler added that Mr Ekinci may bluffed the airliner's pilot into believing he had at least one accomplice on the plane,
'Track-suit man'
'Track-suit man'
Ergun Ozkeseoglu, a passenger who phoned told Turkish NTV television from the plane, said one of the hijackers had waved and apologised to applauding passengers as he left the plane.
Ergun Ozkeseoglu, a passenger who phoned Turkish NTV television from the plane, said the hijacker had waved and apologised to applauding passengers as he left the plane.
Miss India is among four beauty queens on the plane
Miss India is among four beauty queens on the plane
He had seen no weapons but had noticed a passenger repeatedly entering the cockpit and "and giving orders to the stewards".
He had seen no weapons but had noticed a passenger repeatedly entering the cockpit and "and giving orders to the stewards".
One Albanian passenger told Albanian TV that nobody had been informed of the hijacking.
One Albanian passenger told Albanian TV that nobody had been informed of the hijacking.
Ermir Hoxha, a journalist who was also aboard, described one of the suspected hijackers for his television channel, Albania's Top-Channel TV. He said he had not seen any weapon.
Ermir Hoxha, a journalist who was also aboard, described one of the suspected hijackers for his television channel, Albania's Top-Channel TV. He said he had not seen any weapon.
"We gathered something was amiss when we saw a man wearing track-suit bottoms and a hat go to the cockpit door and pause there, thinking," he said.
"We gathered something was amiss when we saw a man wearing track-suit bottoms and a hat go to the cockpit door and pause there, thinking," he said.
However, passengers were served food and drinks in mid-journey and were subsequently were shown the emergency exits, he said.
Contestants in an international beauty pageant, Globe International 2006, were among the passengers, according to the Albanian event's press spokesman.
Contestants in an international beauty pageant, Globe International 2006, were among the passengers, according to the Albanian event's press spokesman.
Miss India, Miss Singapore, Miss Malaysia and Miss Philippines were on the flight, the spokesman told the BBC's Asian Network.
Miss India, Miss Singapore, Miss Malaysia and Miss Philippines were on the flight, the spokesman told the BBC's Asian Network.
Are you or anyone you know affected by this story? Are you in Brindisi? Send us your comments and eyewitness accounts using the form below. If you have any pictures you can send them yourpics@bbc.co.uk.
Are you or anyone you know affected by this story? Are you in Brindisi? Send us your comments and eyewitness accounts using the form below. If you have any pictures you can send them yourpics@bbc.co.uk.
