BRINDISI, Italy-
Two Turks protesting Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to Turkey next month hijacked a jet carrying 113 people from Albania to Istanbul on Tuesday, and it landed safely in this southern Italian coastal city, where they surrendered, officials said.
The two gave themselves up to police about two hours after the Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-400 landed, Italian news agencies reported.
Passenger Ergun Ozkeseoglu told Turkish NTV television by telephone from inside the jet that one of the hijackers waved and apologized to passengers as he left the plane. Some of the passengers could be heard applauding in response.
The hijackers had told authorities they were prepared to surrender, said Candan Karlitekin, chairman of Turkish Airlines’ board of directors. He said no one aboard was injured.
Albanian lawmaker Sadri Abazi, who was aboard the plane, told News24 in Tirana in a brief cell phone call during the hijacking that his fellow passengers were shaken but safe.
“Of course there is panic around, people are afraid, no information at all, but no one has been injured. They (the hijackers) are both at the pilots’ cabin and only one of them came out briefly,” Abazi told the TV station.
Asked about the hijacking, a Vatican official said he expected no changes in Benedict’s plans for the visit. The official, who asked that his name not be used because of the sensitivity of the issue, said an official Vatican announcement that the trip would take place Nov. 28-Dec. 1 would be made soon.
“Preparations are going ahead,” said another Vatican official, spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi. “It is our hope the trip will be made as planned.”
Benedict angered the Muslim world in a speech in Germany on Sept. 12, when he quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor as saying: “Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”
Benedict has expressed regret for offending Muslims by his remarks and said they did not reflect his personal views, but he has not offered a complete apology as some had sought.
Istanbul Deputy Gov. Vedat Muftuoglu also said the hijackers stormed the cockpit about 15-20 minutes after takeoff from the Albanian capital of Tirana.
“They told the pilots that they wanted to carry out an act to protest the pope and that they wanted the plane diverted to Rome and that they (the pilots) should not resist,” he told Turkey’s CNN-Turk television.
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