Bomb threat elicits panic at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

Mehmet Emin Akın, a Belgian citizen of Turkish origin, crashed into several cars at the international arrivals terminal of the Atatürk Airport. dha PHOTO

A bomb threat caused brief panic at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport this morning when a 29-year-old man screamed he had a bomb in his vehicle in the parking lot. 

Mehmet Emin Akın, a Belgian citizen of Turkish origin, crashed into several cars at the international arrivals terminal of the Atatürk Airport in a jeep with Belgian license plates before removing luggage from his car and shouting: “There is a bomb in my car. Today is doomsday.” 
 
Akın had a minor scuffle with a police officer who attempted to intervene in the incident. The suspect was detained shortly after and taken to the police branch office at the airport for questioning. 

Hasan Halarosi, who was driving one of the cars Akın crashed into, said he was about to enter the airport when he heard a loud noise at the back of the car. 

“A foreign-licensed Mercedes jeep hit my car. It hit seven to eight other cars as well, but our car is in worse shape now. The others do not have as much damage [as we do],” said Halarosi.

Police are continuing an investigation into the matter.