Turkey: Agriculture minister's plane makes urgent landing, no one hurt

By Deniz Cicek Palabiyik

ANKARA (AA) - A flight carrying Turkey's agriculture and forestry minister was forced to make an emergency landing in the eastern Malatya province on Friday, but all aboard are reportedly unhurt, said aviation sources.

The plane had to make an emergency landing at Malatya Erhac Airport about 40 minutes after takeoff due to engine trouble, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the military.

Bekir Pakdemirli had left the capital Ankara for the southeastern Sirnak province on a plane belonging to the Forestry Directorate at 10 a.m. local time (0700GMT).

Among the nine people on the plane, including two crew members, were a lawmaker of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, the deputy agriculture and forestry minister, and other officials.