Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirms that two attackers, “a man and a woman, have been neutralized”
ANKARA: A deadly attack on the headquarters of Turkey’s leading defense firm near Ankara left five people dead and 22 injured, according to Turkish officials on Wednesday.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was in Russia meeting Vladimir Putin at the time, confirmed the casualty numbers and strongly condemned the incident, labeling it a “heinous terrorist attack” on the state-run Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
In response to the tragedy, both Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed their deep condolences and solidarity with Turkey. Zardari, in a statement, emphasized that Pakistan stands firmly with the Turkish people during this challenging time, extending sympathies to the families affected and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. He reiterated that terrorism is a global threat and, having suffered from it, Pakistan understands the anguish caused by such violent acts. He called for the international community to unite in combating terrorism and securing a peaceful future.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed similar sentiments in a message on X, offering his heartfelt condolences to President Erdogan and the people of Turkey, affirming Pakistan’s complete solidarity with its Turkish allies.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that three of the wounded were in critical condition and noted that two attackers—a man and a woman—had been neutralized. Efforts were underway to confirm their identities, but it was unclear if other assailants were still at large.
Footage from local media showed thick smoke and flames billowing from the site in Kahramankazan, a town located about 40 kilometers north of Ankara. The incident unfolded around 4:00 pm (1300 GMT), as Erdogan was engaged in talks with Putin at a summit in Kazan. The Russian leader offered his condolences in response to the attack.
Media outlets were forced to stop their live coverage after Turkey’s media authority imposed a broadcast ban on images from the scene. Reports from Haberturk TV suggested a “hostage situation” was ongoing, while private broadcaster NTV mentioned hearing gunfire after the explosion. NTV further indicated that the assault involved a suicide bomber, with one attacker reportedly blowing themselves up after a group of terrorists stormed TAI’s premises.
Haberturk’s coverage implied that one of the attackers was a woman, while the newspaper Sabah released CCTV footage showing a man clad in black, carrying a rucksack and what seemed to be an assault rifle.
The attack was widely condemned, with statements from Turkey’s Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu and opposition leader Ozgur Ozel, who leads the CHP. Ozel took to X, denouncing the assault and declaring, “I condemn terrorism, no matter its origin or location.”
TAI, a key player in Turkey’s defense industry and a major arms manufacturer, operates a vast production facility covering five million square meters and employs around 15,500 people, according to its official website.
