A Turkish Airlines plane in Istanbul was evacuated Saturday after a suspicious note was discovered in one of its bathrooms.

The Turkish Airlines cabin crew found the words "BOMB TO TORONTO" on the bathroom's wall on Flight TK-17 during its pushback from the gate, a Turkish Airlines press official told The Associated Press.

The plane was leaving Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport for Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Plane to arrive late Saturday

The plane returned to its parking spot and was evacuated.

The airline said the plane and its passengers underwent security procedures, but the official said nothing suspicious was found. The press official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed by his company to give his name.

A new plane has been designated for the flight to Toronto.

Turkish Airlines media relations released a statement Saturday afternoon saying that after the investigation "it became clear that it was a false bomb scare alert" and that the flight had departed for Toronto.

According to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Turkish Airlines has one flight on Saturdays to Toronto's Pearson International Airport from Istanbul. That flight, TK-17, was scheduled to arrive Saturday at 6:40 p.m. and has been delayed to 10:26 p.m. Saturday night.