Armed assailants launched a deadly “terror” attack on Turkey’s state-run aerospace company near the capital Ankara on Wednesday, government officials said.
At least four people were killed and 14 injured – with three in critical condition – in the “terrorist attack” on the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) headquarters in the outskirts of Ankara, said Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Two attackers – a man and a woman – were killed, he added.
“I condemn this heinous attack. Our fight will continue with determination and determination until the last terrorist is neutralized,” Yerlikaya said. “May God have mercy on our martyrs. I wish a speedy recovery to our injured.”A social media video verified and geolocated by CNN showed the moment an explosion rocked the TUSAS headquarters. After the blast, a person holding a firearm is seen running in what appears to be a parking lot.
Turkey is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, said he has spoken with Erdogan about the “deeply concerning” attack. “NATO stands with Turkey,” he said.
Ankara mayor Mansur Yavas said he was “saddened” by the hit on TUSAS, a major defense company. Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said an investigation has been launched into the attack.
Following the attack, the aerospace company’s general manager, Mehmet Demiroglu, left a high-profile defense fair early to return to Ankara, state news agency Anadolu reported.
TUSAS was incorporated into Turkey’s Ministry of Industry and Technology in 1973 in order to reduce the “foreign dependence” of the country’s defense industry, according to its website.
“This is one of the biggest, largest defense companies in the country. It’s producing armed drones and fighter jets,” Ragip Soylu, Turkey bureau chief for the news outlet Middle East Eye, told CNN.
The attack occurred while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in the Russian city of Kazan to attend the annual BRICS summit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences following the attack.“You know how we feel about this. We condemn any manifestations of this kind, no matter what their motivations are,” Putin told Erdogan in his opening remarks, just hours after the Ankara attack.
The US State Department is “tracking reports” of the attack, a spokesperson told CNN.
