ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Five people were killed in an attack on an aerospace industries firm in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Wednesday.
“A terrorist attack has been carried out on the Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TUSAS) facilities in Kahramankazan, Ankara,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X.
Five people were killed and 22 were injured, three of whom are in severe condition, the minister told journalists in Ankara.
Two attackers were “neutralized,” a man and a woman, he added. Turkey uses the term to denote adversaries captured, wounded, or killed.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Speaking to reporters about the attack, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler named the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), but did not expressly blame them for the attack.
"They attempted to disrupt the peace of our nation with a dishonorable attack. We give these dishonorable PKK members the punishment they deserve every time, yet they never learn. As I always say, I'll repeat it once more: We will not stop until the last terrorist is eliminated. And we will exact the pain of what they have done many times over. Everyone will see this," he said.
The interior minister said they are working to identify the assailants and will later announce their affiliation to the public.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the “heinous” attack during a speech at the BRICS meeting in Russia’s Kazan.
Security forces have surrounded the area north of the capital city.
TUSAS designs and builds civilian and military aircraft and drones, as well as other defense systems.
Unverified videos shared on social media show a large blast and flames rising from what is believed to be the location of the attack.
According to the privately owned NTV television, the attackers arrived at the complex during an end-of-shift change of personnel and that at least one of the attackers detonated a bomb while the others entered the complex.
Some people are still inside the building, according to Ihlas News Agency (IHA), which said they are being held hostage.
A Turkish court has imposed a broadcast ban.
“Following the terrorist attack on TUSAS's Kahramankazan facilities, a broadcasting ban has been imposed by the court,” state media cited Ebubekir Sahin, the head of the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK), as saying.
Social media access has also been limited, a user from Turkey told Rudaw English.
Broadcast and social media bans are common in Turkey during security incidents.
The head of the parliamentary bloc of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Sezai Temelli condemned the attack in a speech inside the Turkish parliament.
“While Turkish society wants to escape the violence, war, and deaths, we are faced with such an event. The timing is significant. The provocation is evident in every aspect. Therefore, we must persistently and stubbornly respond to the expectation of peace that society demands,” Temelli said.
A day earlier, the head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli proposed allowing the jailed leader of the PKK to give a speech inside the parliament and announce the dissolution of his armed group.
Bahceli’s call was met with mixed reactions and divided the public opinion. Many Turkish opposition and ultranationalist figures rejected the call.
The DEM Party's executive also condemned the attack and noted its timing just as the possibility for peace talks has re-emerged. "To ensure that such painful events do not happen again, we must uphold peace now more than ever," it stated.
Updated at 10:22 pm
