ANKARA: A 'bomb' hijackers threatened to use against hostages on a Turkish plane on Saturday turned out to be a block of modelling clay with wires attached.

Two men, one Turkish and one an Egyptian , hijacked the plane early on Saturday as it headed from Turkish-backed northern Cyprus to Istanbul.

Most passengers were quickly released or escaped through emergency exits, but six crew and passengers were held hostage until the hijackers surrendered about five hours after forcing the plane to land in southern Turkey.

Police said the Egyptian hijacker had received training at an Al Qaeda camp and wanted to be flown to Iran and to join Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

"The 33-year-old Eyptian, Mommen Abdul Aziz Talikh, had also served time at the same prison in Saudi Arabia with a senior Al Qaeda member, called Ahmad, who was sentenced to life in prison for helping to organise the September 11 attacks," police said.