Initial reports said that the Turkish Airlines flight between the Turkish resort of Antalya and St. Petersburg had been seized by terrorists. However, the lone 'hijacker' was later reported to be a drunk Russian man, subsequently identified as Yashar Pashaoglu, 52. He is reported to have handed a note to a stewardess threatening to blow the plane up unless it flew to Strasbourg.
The plane landed safely, however, with some reports claiming that another passenger had overpowered the culprit, binding his hands and shutting him in the lavatory.
Komsomolskaya Pravda said Pashaoglu is a poet who writes in Russian and Turkish, and is well-known to the Russian police and mental health authorities.
The paper said that in 2005 he had attempted to burn himself alive on Red Square.
"In spring 2005, he attempted self-immolation on Red Square. He piled up his books, set light to them, and began to recite his poetry," the paper wrote, adding that he had also, on a separate occasion, "stripped naked in the centre of Moscow."
The paper also said that Pashaoglu was born in Uzbekistan and that he either had dual Russian-Turkish citizenship or a Turkish residency permit.
Police told the paper that they doubted that he was drunk when the incident on board the Turkish Airlines plane occurred.
Komsomolskaya Pravda also published extracts of Pashaoglu's poems. One of them described the poet's admiration of former U.S. First Lady and New York Senator Hillary Clinton:
"My outcast soul aches for you, believe me, You conquered me in just an instant, Hillary, Hillary, you are so fine, The model for all women, my inspiration!"Pashaoglu has been charged with hijacking. However, he will only face criminal charges if he is judged mentally fit to answer for his actions.
"And that," wrote Komsomolskaya Pravda, "is highly doubtful."
