Two terrorists and three civilians were killed, while at least 14 others were injured, in a tragic explosion outside Turkish Aerospace Industries headquarters near Ankara. The interior minister for Turkey, Ali Yerlikaya, termed the incident a “terrorist attack,” for which he was deeply sorry.
Dramatic footage of the blast site in Kahramankazan, a small town located around 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Ankara, was shown on local news. Thick smoke and flames engulfed the area, painting a distressed picture of the resulting chaos. According to reports, the blast occurred around 4:00 PM (1300 GMT), and not long after, a hostage situation was also reported, though little has been said about that.
The private television channel NTV said the attack could have been linked to a suicide bomber when armed men stormed into TAI headquarters, one of whom detonated explosives. Photographs from the scene revealed at least one of them was a woman. In the meantime, a composite CCTV image circulated by Sabah newspaper showed a young man in black with a mustache and carrying a backpack and what appears to be an assault rifle.
Several officials, including Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu and the head of the CHP party, opposition leader Ozgur Ozel, denounced the attack swiftly. Ozel made it straight for social media after denouncing the terrorist attack against TAI facilities in Kahramankazan. He said, “I condemn the terrorist attack against TAI facilities in Kahramankazan. I condemn terrorism, no matter who or where it comes from.” Many are attracted to his sentiment because he emphasizes unity in fighting such atrocities.
More Read
Visuals of initial suícide blást at the main gate of Turkish Aerospace industries, #Ankara https://t.co/NU87yMiR3Q pic.twitter.com/HWB9LKcB8f
— War analyst (@War_Analysts) October 23, 2024Turkish Aerospace Industries -owned major defense industry company has on record about 15,500 employees and operates an extensive production site covering five million square meters. This happens during a very sensitive period, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to take part in the BRICS summit scheduled for today in Kazan, Russia, where he will have an encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin later today. It was unfortunate that such violence erupted when Erdogan was out of the country and would have taken some time to respond.
Today, Turkey is also hosting a huge trade exhibition that covers issues of defense and aerospace industries that were visited by some high officials of the Ukrainian Government including its top diplomat. The defense sector is an important sector for Turkey, where 80 percent of revenues from exports are coming from this sector, and last year alone, contracts worth $10.2 billion have been signed. Already defense exports of the country for the first eight months of this year have reached $3.7 billion which is considerably higher than the last year.
This is a serious assault on security in Turkey, which came at this particular juncture fact, it is the last major attack to have taken place so far since January when two gunmen went on shooting sprees at a Catholic church in Istanbul, killing one person. The IS group claimed responsibility for the assault. Just a couple of weeks ago, in October, two policemen were reported injured in another attack in Ankara; it is alleged to be the handiwork of the PKK Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which has been fighting the Turkish state since 1984.
In light of these events, I think Turkey must reassess its security measures, especially given the country’s troubled history with terrorism. With the defense sector being such a vital part of the national economy, the government must ensure the safety of its citizens and the stability of its industries. I believe that strengthening intelligence operations and fostering community awareness could play key roles in preventing such attacks in the future. The government also needs to promote dialogue with communities that feel marginalized, as this can help in addressing the root causes of terrorism.
Minutes by M31GlobalNews
