The headquarters of the Turkish Aerospace Industries in Ankara, Turkey, came under “terrorist attack” on the afternoon of Oct. 23, causing casualties, according to Turkish officials.
Speaking on the social media platform X, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that a number of people had been killed in the attack, although he did not provide a figure.
“A terrorist attack was carried out against the TUSAS facilities,” Yerlikaya wrote.
“Unfortunately, we have martyrs and injured people.”
According to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency, an explosion was heard—followed by gunshots—at the facility, which is located in Ankara’s Kahramankazan district.
Turkish security forces, the news agency said, are in the process of neutralizing “terrorists.”
Security forces, firefighters, and paramedics have since been dispatched to the area around the facility, the news agency added.
According to unconfirmed reports, the incident may have involved a suicide attack.
It remains unclear which group—if any—was behind the attack.
Turkey’s official anti-disinformation agency, also writing on X, urged the public to rely solely on statements issued by official sources so as to avoid “unfounded” rumors.
Employees of government institutions across the country have since been evacuated because of fears of possible additional attacks.
“An investigation has been launched by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the treacherous terrorist attack, with one chief prosecutor and eight public prosecutors assigned to the case,” Anadolu quoted a Justice Ministry official as saying.
According to Anadolu, Turkish deputy parliament speaker Celal Adan condemned the attack: “We condemn this treacherous terrorist attack. No act of terrorism can divert our country from its path. They will drown in the blood they have shed.”
In a subsequent statement carried by Anadolu, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan put the death toll at four, while the interior minister said earlier that 14 were injured in the attack.
It remains unclear how many perpetrators were involved in the attack and whether those killed were facility employees or attackers.
In broadcast footage, attackers can be heard exchanging gunfire with security personnel.
Tusash is among Turkey’s most important defense and aviation companies. It produces the KAAN, Turkey’s first domestically produced combat aircraft. The company has roughly 10,000 employees.
One of the company’s stated objectives is to “carry out the manufacture of F-16 aircrafts, integration of on-board systems and flight tests.”
As of publication, gunfights were still reportedly underway in and around the facility.
According to local media outlets, an indeterminate number of hostages are being held at the facility by the attackers. This has not been reported, however, by Turkey’s state-run media outlets.
Photos posted on independent media sites—which appeared to show several hostages huddled in a room—have since been removed.
The facility’s entrance was rocked by a powerful explosion, which was reportedly caused by a suicide bomber.
