Observers of today’s Turkish plane hijacking have branded it a farce, after all 136 passengers and crew escaped unharmed.
The Atlas plane was travelling from northern Cyprus to Istanbul when two men – a Turkish national and a Syrian – tried to divert it to Iran.
Instead, the pilot landed the plane in the southern city of Antalya, claiming it needed
refuelling.
The hijackers announced after the plane landed that women and children could leave, but when the emergency exits were opened everyone rushed out, screaming – according to one onlooker – like a bunch of girls.
“What can I say? This was a missed opportunity,” said Turkish National Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu.
“Where was the semi-automatic weapon fire? Where were the bullet-riddled corpses thrown from a height onto the runway? The entire hijack from start to finish reflects badly on Turkey.”
“The first rule of hijacking is to cut the throat of some nameless infidel to establish respect and control. Have they never seen United 93? While unsuccessful in their mission, it was textbook.”
The men are not thought to have had guns or other weapons, and while passengers describe a suspect package which may have been a tin of biscuits rather than a bomb, officials in northern Cyprus say they have no reason to believe there were explosives on board.
“Where are are the days of Middle East terrorists holding hostages on the tarmac under a sweltering sun for days on end?” said Cakmakoglu. “Have we lost our taste for adventure?”
“These jokers couldn’t hijack a Monday morning sales meeting.”
