The Atlas Jet plane was flying from Northern Cyprus to Istanbul when the two men tried to divert it to Iran.

Instead, the pilot landed the plane in the southern city of Antalya, claiming it needed refuelling.

Northern Cyprus officials said the two men were Iranian nationals protesting against actions of the United States, though this has not been confirmed.

The hijackers announced after the plane landed that women and children could leave.

But when passengers opened emergency exits almost everyone rushed out. Many leapt from the wing of the plane to safety.

They spoke of their panic as the hijack began, when, they said, the pilot appeared for a moment to lose control. Eventually all passengers and crew members were released unharmed and the hijackers surrendered.

The men are not thought to have had guns, though passengers described a suspect package that might have been a bomb.

Officials in northern Cyprus say their security checks are up to international standards and so far they have no reason to believe there were explosives on board.

RECENT HIJACKINGS AND ATTEMPTED HIJACKINGS OF TURKISH PLANES
10 April 2007: Turkish man claiming to be carrying an explosive device threatens to blow up a private plane traveling from Diyarbakir to Istanbul unless flight diverted to Iran. Pilots land the plane at Ankara.

3 Oct 2006: Turkish army deserter, claiming to have bombs strapped to his body, hijacks a Turkish Airlines plane during a flight from Tirana, Albania, to Istanbul. All passengers released unharmed.

29 March 2003: Turkish man uses candles disguised as dynamite to hijack Turkish Airlines flight after it takes off from Istanbul, so he can visit his girlfriend in Germany.

7 Feb 2003: A passenger claiming to have dynamite sticks holds two flight attendants hostage aboard a plane at Istanbul airport before police storm the aircraft and free them.