A powerful explosion occurred outside the Turkish Aerospace Industries headquarters, located near Ankara, leaving many injuries and fatalities. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya described the blast as a “terrorist attack” and confirmed fatalities and injuries.
Yerlikaya announced on X, “A terrorist attack was carried out against the Turkish Aerospace Industries. Unfortunately, we have martyrs and injured people,” in words usually used for military losses.
Local media images showed a huge fire with thick smoke billowing, engulfing the site in Kahramankazan, some 40 kilometers north of Ankara. Haberturk TV said there was a “hostage situation,” but nothing was immediately known about it. Privately run NTV channel said gunshots were also heard after the blast, which shook the facility around 4:00 PM local time. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as yet.
It came at a time when Istanbul was hosting a key trade fair for the defense and aerospace industries. The event attracted high-profile foreign visitors, including the top diplomat of Ukraine.
The Turkish defense industry is considered key to the country’s national economy, as it accounted for almost 80 percent of the nation’s revenues from exports, with projections for 2023 expected to reach over $10.2 billion.
