Turkish Airlines flight with over 150 passengers aboard makes emergency landing in Russia

A Turkish Airlines flight with more than 150 passengers on board has made an emergency landing in the Russian city of Irkutsk. The Boeing 737-900 was en route from Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek to Mongolian capital Ulan Bator.

It is still unclear what necessitated the emergency landing. A technical glitch or bad weather is suspected to have forced the passenger airplane to land in Irkutsk – one of the largest cities in Siberia.

The Russian news agency Interfax reported the plane refuelled in the Russian city. None of the passengers left the aircraft.

Tensions between Russia and Turkey have been high since Ankara's fighter jets shot down a Russian bomber for allegedly violating its territorial airspace near the Syrian border.