Hijack victim says saw no arms or violence

ROME, Oct 3 (Reuters) A passenger on the hijacked Turkish Airlines flight which was forced to land in Italy today said from the plane that no violence was used by the two men who took control of the aircraft.

The passenger, Albanian member of parliament Sabri Abazi, spoke to ANSA news agency by telephone from the hijacked airline. ''They haven't heard us talking,'' he said.

Abazi said there was one hijacker in the cockpit and another in the cabin. ''Up to now we have seen no weapons or use of violence.'' ''We understood a hijack was in place only when the plane suddenly changed direction,'' he said.

Italy's civil aviation authority said the hijackers wanted to convey a message to Pope Benedict, apparently in protest at his planned visit to Turkey.

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