On Wednesday, October 23, explosions and gunfire were reported at Turkey’s largest aerospace company, TUSAŞ, located in the capital city of Ankara, according to eyewitnesses.
A report by British news agency Reuters stated that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed the casualties. Erdoğan, who is attending the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, referred to the incident as a terrorist attack.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that two attackers were neutralized, and among the injured, three are in critical condition. Broadcasts showed video footage of the armed attackers entering the TUSAŞ building prior to the incident.
Yerlikaya further added that the two terrorists were neutralized in a terrorist attack at the TUSAŞ factory in Kahramankazan, Ankara.
The exact motive and identities of the attackers remain unclear, and no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Turkey’s state news agency Anadolu reported that prosecutors have launched an investigation into the incident.
Some media outlets suggested that it may have been a suicide attack, with a possible hostage situation inside the building, although officials have not confirmed this information.
Television channels aired footage of a damaged gate, an exchange of gunfire in the parking lot, and images showing the attackers entering the building with assault rifles and backpacks. Ambulances and helicopters arrived at the scene shortly afterward.
TUSAŞ is Turkey’s largest aerospace company, currently working on the development of training aircraft, military and civilian helicopters, as well as the country’s first indigenous fighter jet. The company, owned by the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation and the government, employs over 10,000 people.