By Emma Ross-Thomas

ISTANBUL, Oct 4 (Reuters) A lone, unarmed Turk who hijacked a flight yesterday told the crew he had three accomplices who would blow up the aeroplane unless he could deliver a message to the Pope, the pilot said today.

Hakan Ekinci stormed the cockpit shortly after the Turkish Airlines flight took off from Tirana bound for Istanbul. All 107 passengers and six crew on the Boeing 737 were unharmed in the hijack, which ended with the man's arrest in Brindisi airport in southern Italy late yesterday.

''While the chief stewardess entered the cockpit to ask if we needed anything, the terrorist entered by force. I tried to push him out but he was a big man and I failed to stop him,'' Turkish Airlines captain Mursel Gokalp told reporters in Istanbul.

''He said his only aim was to give a message to the Pope and then he would submit himself to the police. He said that if he failed to deliver his message his three friends at the back of the plane would detonate the plastic bombs they had,'' he said.

Gokalp did not say what was on a note Ekinci showed him.

Turkish media said Ekinci was a Christian convert who wanted to avoid military service in Turkey and wrote to Pope Benedict several months ago for help to avoid serving in a ''Muslim army''.

There was an initial confusion over the number of hijackers.

''When he entered the cockpit he gave his first name, surname and date of birth and also gave the names of his friends, which he said were at the back of the plane,'' Gokalp said.

''I obeyed because he gave me the impression his friends were there because he was often looking to the back of the plane.'' No other hijackers were found when Ekinci let the passengers off the plane in Brindisi and surrendered to local police.

''When things ended he shook my hand said he was sorry,'' the captain said. No arms were found on the hijacker.

Authorities said Ekinci travelled to Albania in May and requested asylum there on the grounds that he was a deserter from the Turkish army and feared punishment upon return.

Albania refused his request and he was expelled from the country on the Turkish Airlines flight from Tirana to Istanbul.

Ekinci insisted the plane land in Italy, but the pilot said he did not have enough fuel to fly to the specified destination.

Italian authorities said he wanted to go to Rome.

REUTERS MS HT1910