###

Four civilians and two terrorists lost their lives in an audacious assault on Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) headquarters near Ankara. The incident, occurring in the small town of Kahramankazan, also left 14 individuals injured, with three in critical condition, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

Footage aired on local media showed massive clouds of smoke and a large fire engulfing the site, located approximately 40 kilometres north of the capital. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was in Russia meeting with Vladimir Putin at the time, confirmed the death toll and condemned the attack as "heinous."

The attack involved male and female perpetrators, both of whom were neutralised at the scene. The identities of these assailants are currently under investigation, with no further attackers reportedly on the loose. While there has been no immediate claim of responsibility, a judicial investigation has been launched by the Ankara public prosecutor's office.

Media outlets initially provided live coverage of the chaos until a blackout was enforced by Turkey's media watchdog. Reports from Haberturk TV hinted at a "hostage situation," and NTV television reported gunfire following the explosion at around 4:00 pm local time. NTV also described the assault as a suicide attack, stating that a group of terrorists breached the TAI headquarters and one detonated a bomb.

The incident drew widespread condemnation, including statements from Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu and opposition leader Ozgur Ozel. NATO chief Mark Rutte voiced his support for Turkey, expressing condolences in a call to President Erdogan and affirming that "NATO stands with Turkey."

This attack comes after various incidents of violence in Turkey, most recently in January when a gunman linked to the Islamic State group opened fire inside a Catholic church in Istanbul, resulting in the death of one man. Another incident in October 2023 in Ankara's government district saw two policemen injured in an attack claimed by the Kurdish militant group PKK.