« As If There Weren't Enough Distractions in the World | Main | Why Your Mother Always Said NOT to Share Personal Items »

October 03, 2006

BREAKING NEWS on MSNBC

State-run radio: Commercial airliner hijacked in Greek airspace.

No link yet just a headline. I'm looking.
Nothing anyplace else.

FOX has the headline now, too. And now Drudge has

Turkish Airlines spokesman says hijacked aircraft has landed at an airport in Brindisi, Italy...

UPDATE: MSNBC has a smidge more.
A Turkish commercial airliner has been hijacked in Greek airspace, Greek state-run radio said Tuesday.

The plane had taken off from Tirana, Albania, and was destined for Istanbul.

The plane has landed in the Italian city of Brindisi, a Turkish Airlines spokesman said.


UPDATE: Oh, good Lord. The POPE made me do it.
Turkish television channel NTV, quoting unnamed security officials, reported that the plane was hijacked by two Turks to protest Pope Benedict XVI's planned visit to Turkey next month.

And the plane lands in ITALY, of all places.

UPDATE: Thanks to our cub reporter Jimmy "Gunslinger" Olsen in the comments, I can add this:

Earlier reports on Tuesday that two hijackers were protesting Pope Benedict XVI's planned visit to Turkey were apparently incorrect; authorities now say that the single hijacker has requested political asylum.

The hijacker, who according to passengers sneaked into the cockpit when the rest of the crew was busy, told the pilot there were two hijackers, Italian police said. But passengers have reported seeing only one.

Turkish officials said the hijacker, identified as Hasan Ekinci, wrote a letter to the pope in August asking for help in avoiding service in the Turkish army.

"I am a Christian and don't want to serve a Muslim army," he wrote, adding that he had been attending church since 1998.


I'm quite sure I wouldn't want to serve in the Turkish Army either, but there are better ways to draft dodge.

Posted by tree hugging sister at October 3, 2006 11:53 AM

Comments

"And the plane lands in ITALY, of all places"

Jeez. You just can't make this stuff up.

Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at October 3, 2006 12:51 PM

Let me guess...the Presbyterians again?

Posted by: Emily at October 3, 2006 02:12 PM

Something is weird here. How do "unarmed" hijackers:
1. Get into the cockpit?
2. Take over a plane?

You would think the passengers would have kicked their butts in the first two minutes. Was it a planeload of Frenchmen?

Posted by: Dave E. at October 3, 2006 03:20 PM

How awful, Dave. And insensitive.

The whole thing smacks of Dog Day Afternoon where, when they can have a plane to take them ANYwhere in the WORLD, the dim bank robber picks "Wyoming".

Posted by: tree hugging sister at October 3, 2006 04:19 PM

An update…

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/10/03/turkey.hijack/index.html

Posted by: Gunslinger at October 3, 2006 05:16 PM