Shots fired at Istanbul airport, two detained

ISTANBUL

AA photo

Police fired shots in the air at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport on Nov. 6 after two suspects on a motorcycle refused to stop at a checkpoint, the Istanbul governor has said.

Governor Vasip Şahin tweeted early on Nov. 6 morning that the two suspects at the airport were detained and were not carrying any weapons or explosives.

He said the airport remained open to passengers.

According to initial reports, one of the suspects immediately surrendered to security forces after police fired shots in the air, while the other was caught two hours later.

Crime scene police seized one knife and an electroshock device on the motorbike, which was detonated by bomb disposal experts.

The suspects, identified as Syrian-origin Muhammed H. and Mecnun K., had no links to terrorism according to initial examinations. However, the latter reportedly had five criminal records of robbery.

Earlier in the night, vehicles were stopped from entering and leaving the airport during the pursuit of the suspects, Doğan News Agency reported.

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines’ press officer tweeted that departures from Atatürk Airport continued on schedule following the incident.