ANKARA, Turkey — Attackers set off explosives and opened hearth Wednesday at Turkey’s state-run aerospace and protection firm TUSAS, killing 4 individuals and wounding greater than a dozen, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned.
The 2 attackers — a person and a girl — had been additionally killed, Inside Minister Ali Yerlikaya mentioned.
Yerlikaya didn’t say what group was behind the assault, as the method of figuring out the assailants continued. However Protection Minister Yasar Guler pointed the finger on the militant Kurdistan Staff’ Occasion, or PKK.
“We give these PKK scoundrels the punishment they deserve each time. However they by no means come to their senses,” Guler mentioned. “We are going to pursue them till the final terrorist is eradicated.”
The Islamic State group and leftist extremists have additionally carried out previous assaults in Turkey.
“We have now 4 martyrs. We have now 14 wounded. I condemn this heinous terrorist assault,” Erdogan mentioned throughout a gathering with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a BRICS assembly in Russia.
Putin provided condolences. A U.S. Embassy assertion mentioned Washington “strongly condemns right this moment’s terrorist assault.”
TUSAS designs, manufactures and assembles civilian and navy plane, unmanned aerial autos and different protection business and area programs. Its UAVs have been instrumental in Turkey gaining an higher hand in its battle in opposition to Kurdish militants each by itself territory and throughout the border in Iraq.
The assault occurred a day after the chief of Turkey’s far-right nationalist occasion that is allied with Erdogan raised the likelihoodthat the PKK’s imprisoned chief could possibly be granted parole if he renounces violence and disbands his group.
Abdullah Ocalan’s group has been preventing for autonomy in southeast Turkey in a battle that has killed tens of hundreds of individuals for the reason that Eighties. It’s thought of a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies.
The nation’s pro-Kurdish political occasion, which additionally condemned the assault, famous that it had occurred at a time when the potential of a dialogue to finish the battle had emerged.
Turkish media mentioned the assailants arrived Wednesday at an entry to the TUSAS complicated in a taxi. The assailants, carrying assault weapons, detonated an explosive system subsequent to the taxi, inflicting panic and permitting them to enter.
The Inside Ministry mentioned the assault was carried out by two assailants, and that the scenario had been introduced underneath management.
The taxi driver was among the many useless, based on HaberTurk tv.
Safety digital camera pictures, aired on tv, confirmed a person in plainclothes carrying a backpack and holding an assault rifle.
The inside minister mentioned safety groups had been dispatched as quickly because the assault began at round 3:30 p.m.
A number of gunshots had been heard after safety forces entered the positioning, the DHA information company and different media reported. Helicopters had been seen flying above the premises.
Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz mentioned the goal of the assault was Turkey’s “success within the protection business.”
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Related Press author Robert Badendieck in Hamburg, Germany, contributed.
