One of the main drivers of Türkiye's defense industry became the target of a deadly attack on Wednesday afternoon.
The attack on the state-run Turkish Aerospace Industry (TUSAS) killed at least five people and injured 22. It came a day after an unprecedented statement by a Turkish nationalist leader about the possibility of renewing the peace process with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party of the country. (PKK).
The group, considered a “terrorist” group by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union, has been fighting a rebellion against the Turkish state for 40 years. The timing of Wednesday's attack has led observers to believe that the PKK may be sending a message that they are unwilling to lay down their arms.
Here's what you should know about the incident and who could be involved.
What happened in Türkiye and when?
Around 4:00 p.m. (1:00 p.m. GMT) on Wednesday, shots and explosions were reported at the headquarters of the state-owned TUSAS.
Images of the site released by local media initially showed huge clouds of smoke and a large fire, while emergency services rushed to the scene.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the attack in a post on X. “A terrorist attack was carried out against the Turkish Aerospace Industries Ankara Kahramankazan facility,” he wrote.
Security images show three people in a yellow taxi arriving at one of the entrances to the venue. One of the attackers infiltrates the building while shooting. Al Jazeera's Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Ankara, said an explosion occurred next to a security booth and may have injured security personnel.
Witnesses said the attackers were familiar with the layout of the building and that the explosions may have occurred at different exits as employees left work. They added that authorities took employees inside the building to shelters and no one was allowed to leave for a few hours.
“Many experts now suggest that this is a strategically planned terrorist attack,” Koseoglu said. Some media reports claimed it was a suicide attack.
Where did it happen?
The attack took place at the TUSAS headquarters in Kahramankazan.
Kahramankazan, an area north of the Turkish capital, Ankara.
Who was behind this?
Security camera footage of the incident, broadcast on television, showed a man in civilian clothes wearing a backpack and wielding an assault rifle, as well as a woman also carrying an assault rifle. Yerlikaya, the Turkish Interior Minister, confirmed that one of the attackers was a woman.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday night, Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler claimed that the PKK had carried out the attack. No group has claimed responsibility so far.
According to Koseoglu, Turkey's far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Front-Party (DHKP-C) is also on the radar.
A peace process between Turkey and the PKK failed in 2015, and the group and its affiliates carried out a series of attacks in the following years, while the Turkish military and security forces carried out operations against the PKK in the southeast. of Turkey, as well as in Iraq and Syria.
The number of attacks in major Turkish cities has decreased dramatically since 2017.
And in an unprecedented statement on Tuesday, Nationalist Movement Party leader and ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Devlet Bahceli, suggested that jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan – imprisoned since 1999 – could be allowed to speak in parliament if puts an end to the rebellion and dissolves its organization, a sign of a possible resurrection of the peace process.
But Wednesday's attack may be a message that the PKK is reluctant to lay down its arms and normalize ties with the government, experts say.
“This is more of a message that the Turkish defense industry can be attacked and harmed,” said Omer Ozkizilcik, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Middle East Programs. “Turkish drones are an important turning point in the Turkish counterterrorism effort. Therefore, targeting him has enormous symbolic meaning.”
What do we know about the victims?
- At least five people have died and at least 22 have been injured.
- The deceased were identified as Cengiz Coskun, the company's quality control officer, mechanical engineer Zahide Guclu, TUSAS employee Hasan Huseyin Canbaz, security guard Atakan Sahin Erdogan and taxi driver Murat Arslan.
- Guclu was heading to the entrance of the complex to receive flowers sent by her husband when the attack occurred.
- Arslan was killed by the attackers after getting into their vehicle at a taxi station. They then hid his body in the trunk of his taxi.
Is the area safe now?
Yerlikaya said that “two terrorists were neutralized” in a post on X on Wednesday.
Special forces have been deployed to the area while drones searched the facilities.
What's the latest on the ground?
In the hours after the attack, people queued outside the site to learn more about the relatives working inside. According to Koseoglu, some 7,500 employees were on site during the attack.
All security units in the country are on alert and Türkiye's attorney general's office has launched a judicial investigation into the attack.
What do we know about TUSAS?
Founded in 1973, TUSAS developed the country's first indigenous fighter aircraft, the Kaan, as well as a range of drones, satellites and helicopters for civil and military purposes.
Additionally, Turkish intelligence and military have been carrying out cross-border operations targeting PKK members in northern Syria and Iraq with drones produced by TUSAS, according to Al Jazeera's Koseoglu.
The company is jointly owned by the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation and the government and employs approximately 15,000 people.
An international defense, aviation and space industry exhibition was also being held in Istanbul, attended this week by Ukraine's top diplomat and Turkish military officials. Just a few hours before the attack, Yerlikaya published images of his visit to the fair.
What has been the reaction?
Erdogan, who is currently attending the BRICS conference in the Russian city of Kazan, called the incident a “heinous terrorist attack.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte condemned the attack and said he spoke with Erodgan while pledging that the military alliance would support its ally, Türkiye. The European Union delegation in Türkiye also condemned the attack, while Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences.
And US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby “strongly” condemned the attack, adding that “our prayers are with all those affected and their families and, of course, with the people of Turkey at this very time.” difficult”.
