Rebel gunmen hijack Turkish ferry

Up to five gunmen identifying themselves as members of a Kurdish rebel group have hijacked a ferry with 19 passengers on board, a Turkish government minister said.

Transport minister Binali Yildirim told NTV television one of the hijackers is in the captain’s cabin and is claiming to be carrying a bomb.

He says the hijackers have not yet made any demands. There have been conflicting reports about the number of hijackers aboard the Kartepe passenger ferry off the western port city of Izmit.