ANKARA - A Turkish Airlines (THY) plane en route from Istanbul to Ankara was hijacked on Friday.
The plane was hijacked 20 minutes after the take off from Istanbul's Ataturk Airport at 10.00 p.m.
Later, hijacked THY plane landed at Athens Airport early on Saturday.
Sources said that the plane which was hijacked shortly after its take-off from Istanbul's Ataturk Airport for Ankara, demanded fuel supply from Athens.
A crisis desk has been formed at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport due to the hijack.
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul spoke to Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou by phone.
Gul asked Papandreou not to allow the hijacked THY plane to take off unless absolutely necessary.
Sources said that Gul spoke to Papandreou by phone for a few times immediately after the hijacked THY plane flying from Istanbul to Ankara was directed to Athens.
Gul requested Papandreou not to do anything in hurry.
The sources noted that Gul and Papandreou agreed not to allow the departure of the plane, which had been refueled, unless they had to.
Meanwhile, Turkey informed the Interpol about the hijack.
Gul called all departments of the Foreign Ministry after the Turkish Airlines (THY) plane en route from Istanbul to Ankara was hijacked.
Foreign Minister Gul called Turkey's embassies in Athens and Berlin and asked them to make necessary preparations afterwards.
MNG Holding legal adviser Kaan Sahinalp who is one of passengers of THY plane said that there was no panic aboard the plane and stated, ''we are waiting at the moment and expect the plane to fly to Germany.''
Sahinalp, who spoke to TV-8 private TV channel by cell phone, said that everyone was sitting and stated that there was no panic.
Stating that there were a few foreign passengers aboard the plane, Sahinalp said that hijacker first went to the toilet then to the cockpit.
Sahinalp said, ''we did not notice anything. We were close to Ankara. Stewardess did not say anything to us, but we felt something.''
He said that the plane was taken to an empty place and added that they hoped that they would be rescued soon.
Hurriyet reporter Metehan Demir, who spoke to CNN Turk channel by phone, said that they were waiting and added that they did not move yet.
After landing at Athens, THY plane started to be refueled at Athens Airport where tight security measures were taken.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Gul, Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim, Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu and Turkish Air Forces Commander General Cumhur Asparuk who were in contact evaluated the latest developments regarding the THY plane.
Sources said that Ankara contacted passengers and added that health condition of passengers is good.
Turkish Embassy's counselor in Athens went to Venizelos Airport to follow developments.
Ankara told Greek officials the most important thing was security of passengers and crew of the plane.
Turkish Ambassador to Greece Yigit Alpogan said that they were in contact with Greek officials regarding developments on THY plane. Alpogan told the A.A correspondent that there were officials of the embassy at Elefteros Venizelos Airport and stated that he also contacted Greek Foreign Ministry and wanted necessary measures to be taken for health of passengers and crew of the plane.
He added that Turkish and Greek security authorities were in contact regarding hijacking.
Officials of the Transportation Ministry said that the plane was hijacked since the mother and sister of the hijacker were kept hostage in an unknown place.
The officials noted that the hijacker had plastic explosives strapped on him.
Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said that they knew the name of the hijacker but would not announce his name at the moment.
''The identity and appearance of the hijacker has been determined. Efforts continue to convince him. I hope that he will be persuaded soon and we will get a result,'' Guler said.
Guler stated that they did not think that the hijacker was a member of any terrorist organization and that he seemed to be an adventurer.
He said that the hijacker did not say much about his aim and went on saying, ''he wanted to go to Berlin. He was around 22. He was a business class passenger. He entered the cockpit when the door was opened. He is saying that he has some problems related with his relatives.''
Greek state television NET stated early on Saturday that the hijacking of Turkish Airlines (THY) plane ended.
The television announced that they heard that the hijacking ended through transceiver dialogues of the tower.
It said it was observed that buses moved towards THY plane to take passengers.
NET also stressed that the information was not confirmed officially.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim spoke on Saturday to hijacker who seized Turkish Airlines (THY) plane by phone.
Officials of the Transportation Ministry said that Erdogan spoke to the hijacker by phone.
The officials noted that Yildirim spoke to the hijacker via cellular phone twice, adding that the hijacker was persuaded to end the hijack after those phone conversations.
Passengers then started to leave the hijacked Turkish Airlines (THY) plane which landed at Athens' Elefteros Venizelos Airport.
Sources said that the passengers got on the buses near the plane and added that they would return to Turkey by a plane that would be sent from Turkey after they were hosted at the airport for some time.
THY sent a plane to Athens to bring the passengers of the hijacked plane. THY authorities said an Airbus 310 aircraft took off from Istanbul to take the passengers of the hijacked plane from Athens to Ankara.
Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou said that all passengers of the plane were evacuated and added that health condition of passengers was good and they were safe.
Speaking to reporters at Athens's Elefteros Venizelos Airport, Papandreou said that hijacker and two pilots were still aboard the plane.
Papandreou said that hijacking did not completely finish and stated that there were still hijacker and two pilots aboard the plane.
Stating that police took necessary security measures, he said that passengers of the plane were being hosted at Athens Airport.
Papandreou noted that health condition of passengers was good and said that he and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul were in contact.
Papandreou said that Turkish officials extended great help regarding the incident and stated that they carried out the operation in cooperation with the Turkish officials.
Later, Greek police arrested the hijacker.
Greek televisions stated that the hijacker who stayed in the THY plane with two pilots after all passengers were evacuated was arrested by Greek police.
The televisions said the pilots were unharmed.
Transportation Minister Yildirim said that person who hijacked the THY plane was identified as Ozgur Gencaslan born in 1983 and added that hijacking ended.
Speaking to reporters at Transportation Ministry, Yildirim recalled that the plane named ''Ergene'' en route from Istanbul to Ankara was hijacked after it took off from Istanbul's Ataturk Airport at 10.00 p.m. and he stated that the plane was directed towards Izmir and later toward Athens.
Yildirim said that the hijacker wanted to fly to Germany after fuel supply and stated that when the plane landed at Athens Airport, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and he held talks with Greek Foreign and Transportation Ministries.
Stating that Greece allowed the plane to land at Athens Airport, Yildirim said that passengers informed the tv channels by mobile phones.
Yildirim said that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to hijacker for a few times by phone and stated that Erdogan insisted him to end the hijacking. Yildirim noted that he also talked to the hijacker.
''In the end, hijacker was convinced to end it. After that, he accepted passengers to be evacuated. Evacuation of passengers ended. Passengers are safe at the airport. An empty THY plane took off from Istanbul to Athens to bring the passengers of the hijacked THY plane.''
He said that the crew will come to Ankara by the plane which was hijacked. ''I would like to thank all people who exerted effort for ending the hijacking,'' he added.
There were 203 people including Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputies Turhan Comez and Vahit Erdem and former Motherland Party (ANAP) deputy Isin Celebi aboard the plane.
(EÖ-AÖ) 29.03.2003