Turkish plane over Nicosia sends chills

Local residents in Nicosia were alarmed Sunday afternoon when a Turkish airplane was seen circling over the capital city without landing.

The aircraft, described in media reports as a Boeing 737-800 commercial jet, reportedly departed from Adana and was en route to Ercan airport (Tymbou) in north Nicosia.

Although Ercan is not a recognised port of entry in the Republic of Cyprus, the airport is being operated by Turkish Cypriots in the northern part of the divided island.

While is not uncommon for planes to circle over Ercan due to weather advisories, residents in the area became particularly concerned over this plane’s path on Sunday according to local reports.

It turned out that plane could not make a safe landing and had to change course due to weather conditions, making circles over the Ayios Dhometios borough before landing safely at this destination.

The Republic of Cyprus views flights in the north as a violation of Cypriot airspace inside FIR Nicosia, citing legal reasons and air safety concerns.