Spanish premier departs Türkiye after emergency landing over technical issue

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez departed Ankara on Monday after his plane was forced to make an emergency landing in the Turkish capital due to a technical issue en route to Armenia.

His aircraft took off after the issue was resolved, following an overnight stay in Ankara required under standard security procedures.

Spain’s official news agency EFE, citing government sources, said the Airbus A310 used for official travel encountered a malfunction while flying from Madrid to Armenia's capital Yerevan, where Sanchez is scheduled to attend a European Political Community meeting which starts Monday.

Authorities diverted the plane to Ankara, where Sanchez spent the night at a hotel before continuing his journey.

The incident is the latest in a series of travel disruptions involving the Spanish premier. Last September, Sanchez missed a meeting on Ukraine in Paris after a technical issue forced his Falcon aircraft to return to Madrid mid-flight. He later took part in the talks virtually.

*Writing by Seyit Kurt from Istanbul