A passenger on a flight between Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport and the city of Şanlıurfa – in south-eastern Turkey – has been sentenced by a court to four years and two months in prison for obstructing air transport after making a “joke” on board the aircraft by referring to her sister as a “suicide bomber” who was carrying a bomb.
The incident, according to the Turkish broadcaster TRT Haber, took place on flight VF 3222 operated by Ajet, which was preparing to take off on 9 February 2026 from the aforementioned airport, located on the Asian side of Istanbul. According to published reports, a conversation between two sisters triggered an air safety crisis when one of them pointed at the other in front of a flight attendant and stated: “She is a suicide bomber, don’t let her board the plane“.
Following this remarks to the flight attendant, security protocols were immediately activated in response to a potential bomb threat: all passengers were evacuated and security forces carried out a search of the aircraft for explosives. Although these checks revealed no irregularities or threat to the aircraft’s safety, the flight was delayed by three hours, causing serious disruption and inconvenience to passengers, who protested at the situation.
As for the two sisters, they were immediately arrested and taken to the police station; in their statements to the police, they claimed that it had all been a “joke” and that they were not carrying any explosives; both were subsequently released on bail whilst the prosecution launched an investigation. The Ajet airline – the low-cost subsidiary of Turkish Airlines – also decided to place them on a blacklist for one year, banning them from flying on any of the company’s aircraft.
Finally, the verdict in the case was handed down at the first hearing held in court, and the court concluded that the defendant’s conduct with her ‘joke’ put transport safety at risk, for which she was sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in prison. Should the sentence be upheld on appeal, the convicted woman will have to serve her prison sentence. Furthermore, the airline is also preparing another lawsuit to claim compensation for the delay suffered by the plane and the financial losses resulting from the incident.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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