List of hijacking of Turkish airplanes
Encyclopedia
The list of hijackings of Turkish airplanes is a listing of hijackings
or hijacking attempts occurred on Turkish aircraft since the first ever incident in 1972.
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
or hijacking attempts occurred on Turkish aircraft since the first ever incident in 1972.
- May 3, 1972 – A DC-9McDonnell Douglas DC-9The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
airplane of Turkish AirlinesTurkish AirlinesTurkish Airlines is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, headquartered in the Turkish Airlines General Management Building on the grounds of Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Bakirköy district, Istanbul...
(THY) named Boğaziçi on the way from AnkaraAnkaraAnkara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
to IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
was hijacked by four Turkish leftist militants to SofiaSofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. Among the passengers was Ömer İnönü, son of the former President of Turkey İsmet İnönüIsmet InönüMustafa İsmet İnönü was a Turkish Army General, Prime Minister and the second President of Turkey. In 1938, the Republican People's Party gave him the title of "Milli Şef" .-Family and early life:...
. The hijackers, Sefer Şimşek, Yaşar Aydın, Mehmet Yılbaz and Aynullah Akça demanded the release of Deniz GezmişDeniz GezmisDeniz Gezmiş was a Turkish Marxist-Leninist revolutionary and political activist in the Turkey in the late 1960s...
and his comrades from prison, all members of the illegal communist organization People's Liberation Army of TurkeyPeople's Liberation Army of TurkeyPeople's Liberation Army of Turkey was an armed underground far-left movement in Turkey. It was founded at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey in 1970 by Hüseyin İnan, Yusuf Aslan, Sinan Cemgil, Deniz Gezmiş, Taylan Özgur and Cihan Alptekin....
(THKO) sentenced to death penalty and were right before execution. After landing in Sofia, they handed over the aircraft to the Bulgarian authorities and applied for political asylum.
- October 22, 1972 - THY aircraft Truva on a scheduled domestic flight from Istanbul to Ankara was hijacked and diverted to Sofia by another four members of THKO, Hacı Özdemir, Derviş Elmacıoğlu, Yücel Bozkurt and Ahmet Maden. Landed in Sofia, the hijackers handed over the airplane to the Bulgarian authorities and applied for political asylum.
- May 1, 1976 - Zeki Ejder, a Turkish citizen working in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, attempted to hijack the a DC-10McDonnell Douglas DC-10The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine widebody jet airliner manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 has range for medium- to long-haul flights, capable of carrying a maximum 380 passengers. Its most distinguishing feature is the two turbofan engines mounted on underwing pylons and a...
aircraft named İzmir of Turkish Airlines bound to Istanbul from ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in order to land it in MarseilleMarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
. The hijacker could be persuaded and the airliner returned safely to Charles De Gaulle AirportCharles de Gaulle International AirportParis-Charles de Gaulle Airport , also known as Roissy Airport , in the Paris area, is one of the world's principal aviation centres, as well as France's largest airport. It is named after Charles de Gaulle , leader of the Free French Forces and founder of the French Fifth Republic...
in Paris.
- February 13, 1977 - A police academyTurkish National Police Academy- History:The Police academy was founded on 6 November 1937 in accordance with Article 18 of the Act 3201 as a one-year-in service-training institute of higher education to educate and train junior and senior executive constables...
cadet, Adnan Mintaş, attempted to hijack the Turkish Airlines Trakya to Belgrad, YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, which had departed from Istanbul for İzmirIzmirIzmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
.
- March 19, 1977 - Turkish Airlines aircraft with 173 passengers on board flying from DiyarbakırDiyarbakırDiyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
to Ankara was hijacked by two underaged hijackers armed with hand guns to BeirutBeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. İsmail Açan and Hanefi Güzel, who wanted to go to PalestinePalestinePalestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, surrendered with the initiative of Lebanon's Prime Minister Selim al-HossSelim al-HossSelim Ahmed El-Hoss is a veteran Lebanese politician. He was a Prime Minister of Lebanon and a longtime Member of Parliament representing his hometown, Beirut.-Education:...
.
- October 13, 1980 - The Turkish Airlines Boeing 727Boeing 727The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
type aircraft Diyarbakır was hijacked on the flight from MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to Ankara via Istanbul by four radical Islamist miitants. The hijackers were arrested in DiyarbakırDiyarbakırDiyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
as the aircraft landed for refuelling.
- May 24, 1981 - Four Turkish leftist militants hijacked the Turkish Airlines DC-9 aircraft Haliç on a domestic flight from Istanbul to Ankara and demanded to go to BurgasBurgas-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...
, Bulgaria. As two of the hijackers left the airliner for a while after landing, the two others were overwhelmed by the passengers.
- April 15, 1983 - Turkish Airlines aircraft Ankara, flying from Istanbul to İzmir with 6 crew and 107 passengers on board, was hijacked to AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
by Mehmet Kalkan, who was believed to be a psychopathic.
- June 28, 1985 - Turkish citizen Yusuf Örer, who was deported from Germany, attempted to hijack the Turkish Airlines aircraft Kars on the flight from FrankfurtFrankfurtFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany to Istanbul for landing in ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Captain pilotAviatorAn aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and he flight engineerFlight engineerFlight engineers work in three types of aircraft: fixed-wing , rotary wing , and space flight .As airplanes became even larger requiring more engines and complex systems to operate, the workload on the two pilots became excessive during certain critical parts of the flight regime, notably takeoffs...
overwhelmed him with the help of passengers immediately after the attempt.
- March 8, 1996 - A Boeing 727Boeing 727The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
of Cyprus Turkish AirlinesKibris Türk Hava YollariCyprus Turkish Airlines Limited ) was a Turkish Cypriot airline that was the flag carrier for the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus, and was based in the Turkish sector of Nicosia...
on the flight from NicosiaNicosiaNicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
to Istanbul was hijacked by Ramazan Aydın to Munich, Germany.
- February 24, 1998 - Turkish Airlines aircraft Gaziantep of type RJ 100 bound for Ankara from AdanaAdanaAdana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
with 63 passengers and 5 crew on board was hijacked by Mehmet Dağ (36) to Diyarbakır. The hijacker, stating he had a bomb inside the teddy bear in his hand, wanted to divert the airliner to IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. The passengers overwhelmed him.
- March 30, 1998 - Cyprus Turkish Airlines aircraft on the way from Nicosia to Ankara was hijacked by Mehmet Ertürk, who had in his hand a lighter in the form of a hand grenadeHand grenadeA hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
. The airliner landed in Ankara, and the hijacker was arrested.
- September 14, 1998 - An AirbusAirbusAirbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
of Turkish Airlines, departed from Ankara for Istanbul, was hijacked by İhsan Akyüz, who was armed with a toy pistol. Following the forced landing in TrabzonTrabzonTrabzon is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. Trabzon, located on the historical Silk Road, became a melting pot of religions, languages and culture for centuries and a trade gateway to Iran in the southeast and the Caucasus to the northeast...
, the hijacker surrendered.
- October 29, 1998 – Turkish Airlines Flight 487 on a Boeing 737Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
named Ayvalık en route from AdanaAdanaAdana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
to Istanbul was hijacked by a PKK terrorist on the Republic Day. The hijacker, armed with a pistol and a hand grenade demanded to fly to ZurichZürichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
via Sofia in Bulgaria.
- March 28, 2003 – Turkish Airlines aircraft Ergene on the way from Ankara to Istanbul was hijacked and forced to land in Athens, Greece. The Turkish citizen hijacker Özgür Genç surrendered.
- October 3, 2006 – Turkish Airlines Flight 1476Turkish Airlines Flight 1476Turkish Airlines Flight 1476 was a Turkish Airlines flight that was hijacked by Hakan Ekinci in Greek airspace on October 3, 2006. Ekinci wanted to go to Rome to speak with the Pope, but Greek and Italian F-16 Fighting Falcon jets intercepted and escorted the aircraft until it landed in Brindisi,...
with airplane Çanakkale en route from TiranaTiranaTirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
to İstanbul was hijacked by Turkish citizen Hakan Ekinci in Greek airspace. The hijacker surrendered after the forced landing in BrindisiBrindisiBrindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
- April 10, 2007 – Pegasus AirlinesPegasus AirlinesPegasus Airlines is a low-cost airline headquartered in the Halkalı area of Küçükçekmece, Istanbul, Turkey. Formerly a charter airline in partnership with Aer Lingus, Pegasus is now completely controlled by Esas Holding.- History :...
aircraft on the way from Diyarbakr to Istanbul was hijacked by Mehmet Gökşingöl and was forced to land at Esenboğa Airport in Ankara. Security forces overwhelmed the hijacker some time later.
- August 18, 2007 – A Palestinian and a Turkish citizen hijacked a MD-83 type aircraft of AtlasjetAtlasjetAtlasjet Havacılık A.Ş. is an airline based in Florya, Bakırköy district, Istanbul, Turkey, operating domestic and international scheduled passenger services and regular charter flights to Europe, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates, usually out of either Atatürk International Airport,...
leased to World Focus Airlines on the flight KK 1011 from Nicosia to Istanbul. The hijackers, armed with a knife and fake plastic bomb, tried unsuccessfully to enter the cockpit, demanded to fly to Teheran, IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. The aircraft with 6 crew and 136 passengers landed in AntalyaAntalyaAntalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
for refuelling. The hijackers, a SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n passport holder Palestinian, Mommen Abdül Aziz Talik (25), and a Turkish student in Cyprus, Mehmet Reşat Öz (27), released the children and the women on board. By this opportunity, the pilots and most of the passengers escaped by jumping from the aircraft. The hijackers held a few passengers and flight attendants hostage, but surrendered five hours later.
- January 5, 2011 - Turkish Airlines Flight 1754, flying from OsloOsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
to IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, was in Bulgarian airspace when, allegedly, an unsuccessful attempt was made to hijack it. The suspect allegedly said that he had a bomb and that he would blow up the aircraft unless the plane returned to Norway. Some passengers overpowered the hijacker and the flight safely landed at Atatürk International AirportAtatürk International AirportAtatürk International Airport is the major international airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Opened in 1924 and located in Yeşilköy, on the European side of the city, it is west of the city centre. In 1980, the airport was renamed to Atatürk International Airport in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the...
at 9:30 p.m after the pilot notified emergency service. All 60 passengers and seven crew got off the aircraft; none were injured during the incident. The suspect was arrested. "Turkish Airlines hijack attempt foiled by passengers", Hürriyet, January 5, 2011