ISTANBUL - A Turkish Airlines passenger plane was forced to make an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York around 6 am local time (1000GMT) on Wednesday after a pilot died mid-flight on a route from Seattle to Istanbul.

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The airline reported on the social media platform X that Captain Ilcehin Pehlivan, 59, collapsed during the flight. Despite immediate medical assistance provided onboard, efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Airline spokesman Yahya Ustun confirmed that the cockpit crew opted to divert to New York for the emergency landing. The aircraft had taken off from Seattle on Tuesday evening, and plans are now in place for the return flight to Istanbul to proceed through New York.

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Ustun also stated that Pehlivan had undergone a comprehensive medical evaluation in March and had been cleared for flight duties.