Turkey’s interior minister has blamed a “terrorist attack” for an explosion and assault by gunmen at the headquarters of the country’s national aerospace company, Tusaş, outside Ankara, saying there are dead and wounded people at the scene.
The large blast, which happened outside the building at 4pm on Wednesday, amid reports that gunfire was also heard in the vicinity. Habertürk TV said there was an “ongoing hostage situation” without giving further details.
“A terrorist attack was carried out against the Tusaş facilities in Kahramankazan, Ankara. Unfortunately, we have martyrs and injured people,” the interior minister, Ali Yerlikaya, posted on X.
The exact circumstances of the explosion and the subsequent gunfire remained unclear, with some media reports suggesting it was a suicide attack.
According to initial reports, the attack was launched by several gunmen who arrived at the site by taxi, with local television footage appearing to show individuals wearing black and carrying rucksacks in the streets near the building firing on bystanders. TV images also showed a damaged gate and a nearby clash in a car park.
Tusaş is one of Turkey’s most important defence and aviation companies. It produces Kaan, the country’s first national combat aircraft, among other projects.
According to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, staff in the building were directed to shelters for security reasons.
The blast occurred as an important trade fair for the defence and aerospace industries was taking place in Istanbul, which was visited this week by Ukraine’s top diplomat.
Turkey’s defence sector, which is widely known for its Bayraktar drones, accounts for nearly 80% of the country’s export revenues with revenues expected to exceed $10.2bn in 2023.
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