Two men wielding a fake bomb and claiming al-Qaida ties hijacked a Turkish plane Saturday, holding passengers and crew hostage before surrendering peacefully in Antalya more than four hours later, authorities said. It was the fifth hijacking or hijacking attempt of a Turkish plane in four years by people falsely claiming to be carrying explosives or arms - despite increased security at airports following the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States. The hijackers' motive remained unclear Saturday evening. One of the men was Turkish and the other was believed to be a Palestinian carrying a Syrian passport, Transport Minister Osman Gunes said. Earlier, Turkish Cypriot authorities said the men were Iranians protesting US policies.
The alleged bomb turned out to be made of play dough, CNN-Turk television reported, citing police sources.