Hijacker Subdued By Passengers

A hijacker proclaiming himself on a mission from God seized a Turkish Airlines jet Tuesday and demanded to be flown to Iran, only to be tackled by fellow passengers, Turkey's Anatolia news agency reported.

After pummeling him, passengers handed the man over to security forces, Turkish television reported. There were no injuries to any of the 62 passengers or five crew members.

"I am a martyr of God," the hijacker, identified as 31-year-old Mehmet Dal, shouted as security troops took him from the plane early Wednesday.

The hijacking started Tuesday night, when a man claiming to have a bomb stuffed in a teddy bear commandeered the plane shortly after it took off from the southern city of Adana on Tuesday.

The flight was initially bound for the Turkish capital, Ankara, about 250 miles to the northwest.

The hijacker released 21 of the passengers after landing in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir. Authorities refused to refuel the plane to let it fly on to the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Passenger Vedat Gulsen said the hijacker was acting to protest what he called the oppression of Muslims in Algeria. He ordered the crew not to serve any alcohol, which is forbidden under Islam.

The hijacker also demanded cigars and food. Seeing a chance to end the standoff, security forces prepared to enter the plane dressed as caterers to deliver the meals and tobacco.

But passengers acted before security officers did.

"I jumped over him and started to punch his face, when two other passengers grabbed and threw him on the floor," Gulsen told ATV television.

Earlier reports said the hijacker was a Cypriot. But Kanal D television, quoting the Interior Ministry, said he was a Turkish national.

State Minister Refaiddin Sahin was quoted by Anatolia as saying that the hijacker was acting alone and was not allied with any organization.

It was not clear whether the man actually had a bomb, or why he wanted to go to Iran.

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