Terrorist Assault on Turkish Defense Firm Results in 3 Fatalities and 14 Injuries – One America News Network
OAN Staff James Meyers
9:23 AM – Wednesday, October 23, 2024
At least three people have been killed and 14 were wounded in a “terrorist attack” at one of Turkey’s top defense companies on Wednesday, according to Turkey’s interior minister Ali Yerlikaya.
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Armed assailants carried out the deadly “terror” attack in Ankara, on the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) headquarters, said Yerlikaya. Two attackers 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.”
Video from the scene broadcast by local news outlets showed massive clouds of smoke and a large fire raging at the site.
Haberturk TV said there was an ongoing “hostage situation,” without giving further details, while the private NTV television spoke of gunshots after an initial explosion at about 4 p.m. local time (8 a.m. Eastern).
There was no immediate information to suggest who might be behind the attack on the facility, which manufactures fighter jets and other military equipment for NATO’s second largest military after the United States.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said an investigation has been launched into the attack.
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 the company’s 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.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department is “tracking reports” of the attack, according to reports.
Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, said he has spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the “deeply concerning” attack. “NATO stands with Turkey,” he said.
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