### Deadly Attack at Turkish Defense Company TUSAS Leaves Four Dead and Over a Dozen Injured

ANKARA, Turkey - A brutal attack on Wednesday targeted Turkey's state-owned aerospace and defense firm TUSAS, resulting in the tragic deaths of four individuals and injuries to more than fourteen others. This was confirmed by Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that two of the attackers, identified as a man and a woman, were killed during the confrontation. The identification process for the attackers is ongoing, and it remains unclear which organization orchestrated the assault. Turkey has previously faced attacks from Kurdish militants, the Islamic State group, and leftist extremists.

President Erdogan, who condemned the “heinous terrorist attack” during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia, revealed that the casualties included four "martyrs" and left fourteen others wounded. Putin extended his condolences to Turkey, and a statement from the U.S. Embassy also strongly denounced the attack.

The targeted company, TUSAS, is pivotal in designing and manufacturing civilian and military aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and other defense and space systems. Significantly, TUSAS-built UAVs have played a crucial role in Turkey's military operations against Kurdish militants domestically and in Iraq.

Coincidentally, this attack follows a recent statement by the leader of Turkey's far-right nationalist party, a political ally of Erdogan, suggesting the possibility of granting parole to Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), if he renounces violence and disbands the organization. The PKK has been in conflict with Turkey since the 1980s, seeking autonomy for the Kurdish region in southeastern Turkey. The group is regarded as a terrorist organization by both Turkey and its Western allies.

Three assailants reportedly arrived at the TUSAS complex on Wednesday in a taxi, armed with assault weapons. They set off an explosive device near the taxi, which caused chaos and enabled them to penetrate the complex. Initial reports from Turkish media indicated that the taxi driver was among the casualties.

Security forces responded promptly when the attack began around 3:30 p.m. According to the DHA news agency and other sources, continuous gunfire was heard as security units moved in, and helicopters were observed hovering over the site. Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz later remarked that the attackers' primary aim was to target Turkey's achievements in the defense industry.