BRINDISI, Italy (CNN) -- A Turkish plane carrying 113 people was hijacked Tuesday by two Turks protesting Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming visit to Turkey, and landed safely in Italy, according to a Turkish national airline official.
The official said the two indicated they were ready to surrender to authorities.
The plane departed Tirana, Albania and was headed to Istanbul, Turkey, when the hijackers announced their intentions over Greek airspace, the spokesman said on Turkish television.
The plane sent out an SOS signal and Greek defense ministry planes escorted the aircraft out of Greek airspace. Greek officials alerted their Italian counterparts, the spokesman said.
The plane, carrying 107 passengers and six crew, landed at a military airport in Brindisi, on the heel of Italy's boot.
The airline spokesman said the men commandeered the plane to protest Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming visit to Turkey, and because they were angered over the pope's recent comments quoting a 14th century scholar about Islam.
An Italian air force F-16 fighter jet intercepted the Turkish Boeing 737 and forced it to land at Brindisi, an air force official told Reuters.
The chairman of Turkish Airlines confirmed the hijacking and said none of the passengers had been hurt.
"The passengers and crew are under no threat," Candan Karlitekin told NTV television
Topic: Jet hijack to protest pope's visit (Read 5003 times)