OR terrorist attack which occurred at the headquarters of the Turkish aerospace industry TUSAS, in the Kahramankazan area, on the outskirts of Ankara, left four dead and another 14 injured.
Minister Ali Gerlikaya said two attackers were killed in the attack, adding that three of the injured were in critical condition. Television stations showed images of armed attackers entering the TUSAS building.
“Two terrorists were neutralized during the terrorist attack on TUSAS Ankara Kahramankazan premises,” Gerlikaya said.
YENİ BİLGİ-1
Türk Havacılık and Uzay Sanayii AŞ. (TUSAŞ) 2 terrorists were neutralized in the terrorist attack on the Ankara Kahramankazan facility.
Saldırıda maçış 3 şehidimiz, 14 yaralımız var.
Şehitlerimize Allah’tan rahmet? yaralılarımıza acil şifalar diliyorum.…
-Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) October 23, 2024
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, together with Russia’s Vladimir Putin at a BRICS conference in the Russian city of Kazan, condemned the attack and accepted Putin’s condolences. NATO, the United States and the European Union also condemned the attack.
AND The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, unequivocally condemned the attack.
An investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office was initiated
The causes of the explosion and the perpetrators of the attack remained unclear. No group took responsibility. Prosecutors have launched an investigation, state news agency Anadolu reported.
Some media reports claimed that a suicide attack had occurred and that there were hostages inside the building, although authorities have not confirmed this.
Workers were taken to shelters
Witnesses told Reuters that employees inside the building were taken by authorities to shelters and no one was allowed to leave for a few hours. They said the explosions they heard may have occurred at different exits as workers were leaving work.
Eyewitnesses later stated that the evacuation of personnel from the TUSAS area had begun and that buses were allowed to leave when the operation ended.
Broadcasters showed images of a damaged gate and images of a shooting in a parking lot, as well as attackers carrying rifles and backpacks as they entered the building. Ambulances and helicopters arrived later.
TUSAŞ attack pic.twitter.com/xHhskS7Qab
– lili (@lilikedisi) October 23, 2024
TUSAS is Türkiye’s largest aerospace manufacturerwhich currently produces training vessels, fighters and civilian helicopters, in addition to developing the country’s first indigenous combat aircraft, the KAAN. It is owned by the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation and the government and employs more than 10,000 workers.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte condemned the attack and said the military alliance would support its ally Türkiye.