Ankara on alert after plane lands due to suspicions of coronavirus among passengers

A Turkish Airlines plane flying from Iran to Istanbul was diverted to Ankara on Feb. 25 at the Turkish Health Ministry's request, according to local media reports.

The plane, carrying 132 passengers, was flying from Tehran to Istanbul.

The plane has landed at Ankara's Esenboğa Airport.

Some 17 passengers allegedly have fever above normal levels, while some others were travelling from the Iranian city of Qom.

All 132 passengers and crew on a flight from Iran to Turkey will be quarantined for 14 days and tested for coronavirus infection, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

In a statement, Koca said the Turkish Airlines flight from Tehran was carrying Turkish nationals back, after Turkey closed its borders with Iran at the weekend over a coronavirus outbreak there.

Koca said all 132 passengers and crew on the flight were Turkish citizens, adding they would be quarantined and tested at a previously prepared hospital in Ankara.

Earlier on Feb. 25, Turkish Airlines announced that it suspended its China and Iran flights - except the capital Tehran - due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The carrier also said that based on the decree of Turkey's official authorities, foreign people who were in China or Iran's northern city of Qom in the last 14 days will not be granted entry to Turkey.

The carrier's China flights are suspended till the end of this February and Iran flights are cancelled till the 10th of March.

Turkish Airlines said: "We urge you to take the precautions in effect to account when planning your travels."

Two more people infected with the new coronavirus have died, taking the toll in Iran to 16, a Health Ministry official told state TV on Feb. 25.

Iran has the highest...