Turkish authorities said that a deadly attack targeted the headquarters of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) near Ankara on Wednesday afternoon, reported Reuters.
The Turkish Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, said that the attack have caused several casualties. “A terrorist attack was carried out against the Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TUSAŞ) facilities in Kahramankazan, Ankara. Unfortunately, we have martyrs and injured people after the attack,” he wrote on X.
Yerlikaya did not provide further details on the attack.
Türk Havacılık ve Uzay Sanayii AŞ. (TUSAŞ) Ankara Kahramankazan tesislerine yönelik terör saldırısı gerçekleştirilmiştir.
Saldırı sonrası maalesef şehit ve yaralılarımız bulunmaktadır.
Şehitlerimize Allah’tan rahmet; yaralılarımıza acil şifalar diliyorum.
Gelişmelerden kamuoyu…
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) October 23, 2024
Turkish media reported a loud explosion at the site and displayed footage of an exchange of gunfire there. While the cause is still unclear, some unconfirmed reports claimed it was a “suicide attack.”
Security forces, ambulances and firefighters were dispatched to the TUSAŞ complex, which employs over 15,000 people, the Daily Sabah reported. Employees were taken to a safe area.
Meanwhile, the Turkish media outlet, NTV, cited by the Associated Press (AP), claimed that the attack happened during a changing of the security personnel, when a group of attackers arrived to the site of the explosion in a taxi.
NTV said at least one of them detonated a bomb, while the other attackers entered the complex. It also added that some of the employees at the complex may have been taken hostage.
TUSAŞ is one of Türkiye’s major defense and aviation companies. Its projects include the production of KAAN, the country’s first national combat aircraft.