Small police plane crashes in eastern Turkey, killing 7

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A small plane belonging to Turkey’s police force has crashed into a mountain in eastern Turkey, killing seven officers on board, Turkey’s interior minister said Thursday.

The plane was returning from a surveillance and reconnaissance mission late Wednesday, when it crashed into the Artos mountains in the eastern province of Van, near the border with Iran, Suleyman Soylu told reporters.

The minister said the plane disappeared from the radar on its way back to an airport following a surveillance mission over Van and the neighboring province of Hakkari, which lies farther south and borders both Iran and Iraq.

The plane’s wreckage was found at around 3 a.m. (0000 GMT), he said.

All on board, including the two pilots, were members of the national police.

The cause of the of crash was under investigation, Soylu said.