Report: Turkish court formally arrests man who tried to hijack plane to Sochi

Passengers of private Turkish company Pegasus leave the plane at the Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. An official says authorities have subdued a man who attempted to hijack a Turkish plane to Sochi, Russia, and that the other passengers have been evacuated. Huseyin Avni Mutlu, the Istanbul governor, says on Twitter that "the operation has ended." In another tweet Friday, he said all passengers were evacuated "without any problems."(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) (The Associated Press)

Turkey's state-run agency says a court in Istanbul has formally arrested a Ukrainian man who allegedly tried to hijack a Turkey-bound flight to Sochi, Russia, as the Winter Olympics were beginning.

Anadolu Agency says the man, identified as Artem Kozlov, was ordered jailed on Sunday following questioning by police.

Private NTV television said he was arrested on hijacking and hostage taking charges.

The man claimed he had a bomb and tried to divert the Pegasus Airlines flight, which originated in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Friday. The pilot tricked him and landed in Istanbul instead where he was subdued by security officers who sneaked on board.

Ukrainian officials said he tried to hijack the plane to press for the release of anti-government protesters in his country.