One of many predominant drivers of Turkey’s defence trade grew to become the goal of a lethal assault on Wednesday afternoon.
The assault on state-run Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) has killed no less than 5 and injured 22. It got here a day after an unprecedented assertion from a Turkish nationalist chief about the opportunity of a renewed peace course of with the nation’s outlawed Kurdistan Staff’ Occasion (PKK).
The group – thought-about a “terrorist” group by Turkey, the US and the European Union – has been combating a 40-year-long riot towards the Turkish state. The timing of Wednesday’s assault has led observers to consider the PKK could also be sending a message that they don’t seem to be prepared to put down arms.
Here’s what to know concerning the incident and who is perhaps concerned.
What occurred in Turkey and when?
Near 4pm (13:00 GMT) on Wednesday, gunshots and explosions have been reported on the headquarters of state-run TUSAS.
Footage from the scene broadcast by native media initially confirmed enormous clouds of smoke and a big hearth, whereas emergency providers rushed to the positioning.
Turkey’s Inside Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the assault in a submit on X. “A terrorist assault was carried out towards the Turkish Aerospace Industries Ankara Kahramankazan services,” he wrote.
Safety footage exhibits three individuals in a yellow cab arrive at one of many entrances of the compound. One of many attackers infiltrates the constructing whereas firing photographs. Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Ankara, stated a blast happened subsequent to a safety sales space and should have injured safety personnel.
Witnesses stated the attackers have been aware of the constructing structure and the blasts might have occurred at totally different exits as staff have been leaving work for the day. They added that authorities took staff contained in the constructing to shelters and nobody was permitted to go away for a couple of hours.
“Lots of the consultants now recommend that this was a strategically deliberate terrorist assault”, stated Koseoglu. Some media stories claimed that it was a suicide assault.
The place did it occur?
The assault happened on the headquarters of TUSAS in Kahramankazan.
Kahramankazan an space to the north of Turkey’s capital, Ankara.
Who was behind it?
Safety digicam photographs from the incident, aired on tv, confirmed a person in plainclothes carrying a backpack and holding an assault rifle, in addition to a girl who was additionally carrying an assault rifle. Yerlikaya, the Turkish inside minister, confirmed that one of many assailants was a girl.
Chatting with reporters on Wednesday evening, Turkish Nationwide Defence Minister Yasar Guler alleged the PKK had carried out the assault. No group has claimed duty to this point.
Turkey’s extreme-left Revolutionary Folks’s Liberation Occasion-Entrance (DHKP-C) can be on the radar, based on Koseoglu.
A peace course of between Turkey and the PKK broke down in 2015, and the group and its associates carried out various assaults within the years that adopted, because the Turkish army and safety forces performed operations towards the PKK in southeast Turkey, in addition to in Iraq and Syria.
The variety of assaults in main Turkish cities has dropped sharply since 2017.
And in an unprecedented assertion on Tuesday, Nationalist Motion Occasion chief and ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Devlet Bahceli, instructed that jailed PKK chief Abdullah Ocalan – imprisoned since 1999 – might be allowed to talk on the parliament if he calls off the riot and disbands his organisation – an indication of a attainable resurrection of the peace course of.
However Wednesday’s assault could also be a message that the PKK is reluctant to place down arms and normalise ties with the federal government, based on consultants.
“That is extra of a message that the Turkish defence trade will be focused and harmed”, stated Omer Ozkizilcik, non-resident fellow on the Atlantic Council’s Center East Packages. “Turkish drones are a significant sport changer within the Turkish counterterrorism effort. Subsequently, concentrating on it has an enormous symbolic which means.”
What do we all know concerning the victims?
- Not less than 5 individuals have been killed and no less than 22 injured.
- These killed have been named as Cengiz Coskun, a top quality management officer on the firm, mechanical engineer Zahide Guclu, TUSAS worker Hasan Huseyin Canbaz, safety guard Atakan Sahin Erdogan, and taxi driver Murat Arslan.
- Guclu had been on her technique to the doorway of the compound to obtain flowers despatched by her husband when the assault happened.
- Arslan was killed by the attackers after they obtained into his car at a taxi station. They then hid his physique within the trunk of his taxi.
Is the realm now secure?
Yerlikaya stated that “two terrorists have been neutralised” in a submit on X on Wednesday.
Particular forces have been deployed to the realm whereas drones have been scouring the premises.
What’s the newest on the bottom?
Within the hours after the assault, individuals lined up exterior the positioning to get extra details about family working inside. Some 7,500 staff have been on-site in the course of the assault, based on Koseoglu.
All safety items within the nation are on alert and Turkey’s chief public prosecutor workplace has launched a judicial investigation into the assault.
What will we learn about TUSAS?
Based in 1973, TUSAS developed the nation’s first indigenous fighter jet, Kaan, in addition to a variety of drones, satellites, and helicopters for each civilian and army functions.
Moreover, the Turkish intelligence and army have been conducting cross-border operations concentrating on PKK members in northern Syria and Iraq with TUSAS-produced drones, based on Al Jazeera’s Koseoglu.
The corporate is owned collectively by the Turkish Armed Forces Basis and the federal government and employs roughly 15,000 individuals.
A global defence, aviation and house trade expo was additionally going down in Istanbul, which was attended this week by Ukraine’s prime diplomat and Turkish army officers. Simply hours earlier than the assault, Yerlikaya posted photographs from his go to to the commerce truthful.
What has the response been?
Erdogan, who’s at present attending the BRICS convention within the Russian metropolis of Kazan, known as the incident a “heinous terrorist assault”.
NATO Secretary-Common Mark Rutte condemned the assault and stated he spoke to Erodgan whereas pledging that the army alliance would stand with its ally, Turkey. The European Union delegation in Turkey additionally condemned the assault, whereas Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences.
And the US Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson John Kirby “strongly” condemned the assault, including “our prayers are with all of these affected and their households, and naturally, additionally the individuals of Turkey at this very tough time”.
