Turkey’s interior minister has blamed a “terrorist attack” for an explosion and assault at the headquarters of the country’s national aerospace company, Tusaş, outside Ankara, that killed four people and wounded 14 others.
The large blast happened outside the building at 4pm on Wednesday, amid reports that gunfire was also heard in the vicinity. Habertürk TV said there was an “ongoing hostage situation” without giving further details.
“A terrorist attack was carried out against the Tusaş facilities in Kahramankazan, Ankara. Unfortunately, we have martyrs and injured people,” the interior minister, Ali Yerlikaya, posted on X.
Yerlikaya later said that two attackers had been killed amid claims that the assailants included a woman.
The exact circumstances of the explosion and subsequent gunfire remained unclear, with some media reports suggesting it was a suicide attack.
It was not clear who may be behind the attack. Kurdish militants, the Islamic State group and leftist extremists have carried out attacks in the country in the past.
The blast occurred as the Turkish president, Recep Tayyp Erdoğan, was in the Russian city of Kazan for the Brics summit of major emerging market nations, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Erdogan will hold talks with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, later on Wednesday.
According to initial reports, the attack was launched by several gunmen who arrived at the site by taxi, with local television footage appearing to show individuals wearing black and carrying rucksacks in the streets near the building firing on bystanders. TV images also showed a damaged gate and a nearby clash in a car park.
Private NTV television said a group of assailants arrived at an entry to the complex inside a taxi during a changing of the security personnel. At least one of the assailants detonated a bomb, while other attackers managed to enter the complex.
Tusaş is one of Turkey’s most important defence and aviation companies. It produces Kaan, the country’s first national combat aircraft, among other projects.
According to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, staff in the building were directed to shelters for security reasons.
The blast occurred as an important trade fair for the defence and aerospace industries was taking place in Istanbul, which was visited this week by Ukraine’s top diplomat.
Turkey’s defence sector, which is widely known for its Bayraktar drones, accounts for nearly 80% of the country’s export revenues with revenues expected to exceed $10.2bn in 2023.
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The attack drew condemnation from the transport minister, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, as well as opposition leader Özgür Özel, who heads the CHP.
“I condemn the terrorist attack against TAI facilities in Kahramankazan … I condemn terrorism, no matter who or where it comes from,” Özel wrote on X.
Nato’s head, Mark Rutte, said on Wednesday the military alliance would stand with its ally Turkey amid a deadly attack against the headquarters of Turkish Aerospace Industries, one of Turkey’s most important defence and aviation companies.
“Deeply concerning reports of dead and wounded in Ankara. #NATO stands with our Ally #Turkey. We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and are monitoring developments closely,” Rutte said in a post on X.
The last attack in Turkey took place in January when a man was shot dead by two gunmen who opened fire inside a Catholic church in Istanbul.
That attack was claimed by Islamic State (IS) group jihadists.