At least five dead in attack on Turkish airline

At least five people were killed and 22 others injured in an attack on an airline headquarters near the Turkish capital Ankara, authorities have confirmed.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said two attackers, a woman and a man, had been “neutralized”, adding that the attack most likely involved the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Turkish Defense Ministry announced late Wednesday that airstrikes had been launched against Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq and northern Syria.

Various videos from Wednesday’s attack show at least two people firing guns around the entrance to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), located about 40 km from the capital.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said four of the victims were TAI employees and the fifth was a taxi driver.

Local media earlier reported that the attackers killed the taxi driver before taking his vehicle to carry out the attack.

The explosion took place during a shift change and staff had to be directed to shelters, they said.

Yerlikaya also confirmed that seven special forces personnel were among the 22 injured in the attack.

The PKK is banned as a terrorist organization in Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom and has fought against the Turkish state since the 1980s to win more rights for the country’s large Kurdish minority.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is in Russia for the BRICS summit, condemned what he called a “despicable terrorist attack” during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in remarks broadcast live on television.

He later issued a lengthy statement on X, saying security forces had acted quickly to neutralize the threat and that “no terrorist organization, no evil objective targeting our security will be able to achieve its goals.”

Turkish authorities imposed a media silence on details of the attack, and users in large parts of the country reported being unable to use social media sites like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.

The chairman of Turkey’s Supreme Council of Radio and Television, Ebubekir Sahin, warned that all images related to the incident should be removed from social media and urged users not to share images that “will serve the objectives of terrorism.

TAI is a key player in the Turkish aerospace industry, designing, developing and manufacturing various aircraft for commercial and military use.

This is the company designated by the NATO member to be the licensed manufacturer of the American-designed F-16 fighter jets. TAI also plays a role in modernizing older aircraft for the Turkish military.

The company’s two main owners are the Turkish armed forces and a civilian branch of the Turkish government tasked with improving its defense capabilities and managing military procurement.

The explosion took place as a major defense and aerospace industry exhibition was being held this week in Istanbul.