Gunmen armed with explosives and rifles assaulted the headquarters of Turkey’s state-run aerospace company near Ankara on Wednesday, an incident described by Turkish officials as a “terrorist attack.”
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that five individuals were killed and 22 others were injured. He indicated that the attack was “most probably” carried out by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (P.K.K.).
According to officials, two assailants, a man and a woman, were also killed during the attack.
Images and videos circulating on social media and Turkish news networks depicted explosions and gunfire at the Turkish Aerospace Industries complex. Footage showed the attackers entering a building with backpacks and assault rifles. Special Forces were deployed to the area, which was subsequently sealed off by police, and access to local news coverage was restricted to official statements.
Selim Cirpanoglu, the mayor of the district where the incident occurred, informed media outlets that hostages had been taken in a cafeteria within the compound. As of late Wednesday, there was no clarification on the resolution of that situation.
Defense Minister Yasar Guler echoed the belief that the P.K.K. was behind the assault, stating, “We inflict the necessary punishment on those ignoble P.K.K. members, but they never wisen up.”
The P.K.K. has been engaged in a decades-long insurgency seeking Kurdish autonomy, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. Both Turkey and its Western allies classify the P.K.K. as a terrorist organization.
While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, Turkey has seen similar incidents in recent years attributed to Kurdish separatists, radical leftists, and members of the Islamic State.
One video, broadcast before restrictions were implemented, showed smoke from an apparent explosion and an individual resembling an attacker running with an assault rifle. Surveillance footage captured the attackers at the entrance of a building and a body lying on the pavement.
NetBlocks, an organization monitoring internet outages, reported that major social media platforms including X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok had faced restrictions in Turkey.
Founded to reduce Turkey’s reliance on foreign defense firms, Turkish Aerospace Industries is a major employer engaged in producing parts for aircraft, helicopters, drones, and other technologies.
The attack followed a statement from one of President Erdogan’s closest political allies, suggesting that Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the P.K.K., could be released if he declared an end to the group's insurgency. Ocalan is serving a life sentence on an island prison near Istanbul, and the proposal hinted at potential developments in stalled peace negotiations between Turkey and the P.K.K.
The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, Turkey’s primary pro-Kurdish political entity, condemned the assault, suggesting it might have been executed by those seeking to thwart ongoing dialogue. The party noted the timing of the attack was particularly significant as discussions around a resolution had emerged within Turkish society.