Attack on Turkish aerospace defense company leaves at least four dead

At least four people were killed and 14 wounded Wednesday in a terrorist attack outside the headquarters of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) near Ankara, according to the first official toll.

"Two terrorists were neutralized," Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, without specifying whether the attackers had been detained or eliminated or whether the attack was over.

"A terrorist attack was committed against the TUSAS [Turkish Aerospace Industries] facility in Ankara. Unfortunately there were martyrs and wounded in this attack," the official had indicated shortly beforehand.

Turkish television channel NTV reported shots fired after the explosion, which occurred at around 4 p.m. local time, indicating that a "group of terrorists" had burst in front of the entrance to TUSAS headquarters and that "one of them blew himself up."

No organization claimed responsibility for the operation so far. The Ministry of Justice announced the opening of an investigation. Initial suspicions point to the Kurdish PKK independence fighters.

Turkish defense industry fair

Images showed large flames and a white smoke in front of the entrance to the site, located about 25 miles from the capital.

A major fair held among the defense and aerospace industries is taking place this week in Istanbul, attended by the president of the Turkish Defense Industry Agency, and attended by, among others, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andri Sibiga.

Turkey's defense sector, known for its famous Bayraktar drones, accounts for about 80% of the country's export revenue, with a turnover of $10.2 billion in 2023.

In the first eight months of 2024, defense industries' export revenues reached $3.7 billion, an increase of 9.8% compared to the same period in 2023, according to Turkish Defense Industry Agency President Haluk Gorgun.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in Kazan, Russia, where he is attending the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit and is expected to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, at the end of the day.

The latest attack recorded in Turkey on a church in Istanbul in January left one dead and was claimed by the Islamic State.

Prior to that, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), in armed struggle against the government, had carried out an attack on a police station in Ankara in October 2023, which resulted in two attackers killed and two police officers wounded.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte assured on Wednesday that the transatlantic military alliance "stands with [Turkey]" following the attack outside the headquarters of Turkish Aerospace Industries.