Terrorist attack in Ankara leaves six dead and 14 injured: headquarters of the Turkish aeronautics and defense industries was the target
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced this Wednesday that six people died, including two terrorists, and 14 were injured in the attack that targeted the headquarters of the Turkish aeronautics and defense industries, near Ankara.
“Two terrorists were neutralized in the terrorist attack against the Tusas company facilities in Ankara. Unfortunately, in the attack, four [outras] people died and we have 14 injured”, wrote the Minister of the Interior, Ali Yerlikaya, on the social network X (formerly Twitter), stating that it was a “terrorist attack”.
In Kazan, Russia, where he is participating in the BRICS summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reported four dead, two of them attackers, and condemned the “heinous attack”.
“We have four martyrs. We have 14 injured. I condemn this heinous terrorist attack and wish mercy to our martyrs,” Erdogan said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a BRICS meeting in Kazan, Russia.
Putin offered his condolences for the attack, which has not yet been claimed.
Previously, Ali Yerlikaya indicated that the “terrorist attack” in front of the Turkish Defense Industries headquarters, near Ankara, “caused several deaths and injuries”, as well as hostages.
“A terrorist attack was carried out against TUSAS facilities [Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc] in Ankara. Unfortunately, we had martyrs and injured in this attack”, said the minister on the social network X (formerly Twitter), adding that the explosion was triggered by a “suicide bomber”, at around 4 pm local time (two hours less in Lisbon).
Radio station NTV also mentioned gunshots following the explosion.
According to images broadcast on different televisions, several columns of white smoke are visible at the factory, located around 40 kilometers from the capital.
A large number of police, as well as firefighters and ambulances, are at the scene and, according to NTV radio, an intense shootout took place inside the factory.
NTV indicated that some of the factory workers went to shelters, while others may have been taken hostage.
The CNN Türkiye television network assured that the attackers arrived at the factory by taxi and that at least one blew himself up at the door while others gained access to the facilities.
Authorities sent special helicopter units to the scene, according to several media outlets.
The secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) expressed the political-military organization’s solidarity with Turkey, after the attack on the aeronautics and defense complex in Ankara.
“I just spoke to Recep Tayyip Erdogan [Presidente turco] about the terrorist attack in Ankara. My message was clear: NATO is with Turkey”, said Mark Rutte, on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
The NATO secretary general added that “the news about deaths and injuries” in Ankara is worrying and that he condemned on behalf of the Atlantic Alliance “terrorism in all its forms”.
“We are monitoring these events closely”, added the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, who took office less than a month ago.
TUSAS develops and manufactures some of the most prestigious military aircraft in the Turkish weapons program, such as the Kaan fighter-bomber, still under development, the Hürjet trainer aircraft or the Hürkus light aircraft.
The defense sector, including the well-known Bayraktar ‘drones’, represented almost 80% of the country’s export revenues and 1,200 million dollars (1,114 million euros) in 2023.
In Istanbul, a major exhibition of the defense and aerospace industries is taking place this week, which includes in particular the visit of the Ukrainian Foreign Minister.
