Turkey: F-16 fighter scrambled after suspected hijack

Turkey scrambled an F-16 fighter jet on Friday to escort a commercial flight after a passenger allegedly made a bomb threat, demanding to go to the Winter Olympic games in Sochi. Footage from Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen airport showed the Pegasus airlines plane after safely landing from the Ukrainian city of Kharkov. Special forces seized the suspected hijacker, believed to be a 45 year-old Ukrainian, on his arrival in Turkey. Reports suggest the man was drunk while on board the aircraft and had to be calmed down by the crew. The incident comes at a time of high security surrounding the Sochi Olympics, with US officials also recently warning about the potential for ‘toothpaste’ bombs on flights.