Associated PressThe Turkish government said its troops struck sites in Iraq and Syria on Wednesday night linked to the Kurdish militant group the PKK, after it blamed the PKK for an attack near Ankara that killed at least five people.
Various videos of the attack early on Wednesday showed at least two people opening fire near the entrance of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), a plant about 40 kilometers (25 miles) outside the capital.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which killed five people and injured 22 others.
The Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement that “a total of 32 targets of terrorists were successfully destroyed” in this retaliatory attack.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the attack on TAI “outrageous” in a post on X.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the two attackers, a woman and a man, had been “subdued”, adding that the attack was likely to involve the PKK.
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization in Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom, has been fighting the Turkish government since the 1980s to gain more rights for the country’s important Kurdish minority.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said four of the victims were TAI employees and the fifth was a taxi driver.
Local media earlier reported that the attackers killed the taxi driver and then took away his vehicle in the attack.
They said the explosion occurred around shift change time and staff had to be directed to shelters.
Yelikaya also confirmed that seven special forces members were among the 22 people injured in the attack.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is in Russia for the BRICS summit, condemned what he called a “despicable terrorist attack” in a live televised speech during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
He later issued a lengthy statement on X, saying security forces acted quickly to neutralize the threat and that “no terrorist group, no evil focus on our security, could achieve their goals.”
Turkish authorities imposed a media blackout over details of the attack, and users in much of the country reported being unable to use social media sites such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.
The chairman of Turkey’s Supreme Council of Radio and Television, Ebbeker Shaheen, warned that all images related to the incident should be removed from social media and urged users not to share images “that will serve terrorist purposes.”
TAI is a major player in the Turkish aerospace industry, designing, developing and manufacturing a wide range of commercial and military aircraft.
It is a licensed manufacturer of U.S.-designed F-16 fighter jets designated by NATO member states. TAI also plays a role in the modernization of older aircraft used by the Turkish army.
The company’s two main owners are the Turkish Armed Forces and the civilian arm of the Turkish government responsible for improving defense capabilities and managing military procurement.
The explosion occurred as a major trade show for the defense and aerospace industry was taking place in Istanbul this week.
