A Turkish passenger plane heading for Istanbul from northern Cyprus was hijacked on Saturday and forced to land for refueling in southern Turkey, local media reported.

It was not clear how many hijackers were on board, but they said they wanted to fly to Tehran, media said.

Broadcaster NTV quoted the airline as saying there were 136 passengers on board the plane, which had come from Ercan airport in Turkish-backed northern Cyprus.

Local media said the plane had been forced to land in the southern Turkish city of Antalya.

Cyprus, a major tourist destination for Europeans, is divided between the internationally recognized government in the south and an enclave in the north backed only by Ankara.
sections: Accidents