Deadly attack on Turkish Aerospace Facility leaves 4 dead, 14 wounded

A deadly attack struck one of Türkiye’s critical defense facilities, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ/TAI), in Ankara’s Kahramankazan district on October 23, leaving multiple casualties.

Speaking at a press conference in Russia, where he was attending a BRICS summit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed four deaths and fourteen injuries in the attack.

“We have 4 martyrs and 14 wounded. I condemn this heinous terrorist attack and pray for Allah’s mercy upon our martyrs,” Erdoğan said.

In a subsequent statement on social media, the President emphasized that the attack was an assault on Türkiye’s sovereignty.

“The terrorist act targeting TUSAŞ, one of the flagship institutions of Turkish defence industry, is a cowardly attack aimed at our country’s survival, our nation’s peace, and our defense initiatives which are symbols of our ‘Fully Independent Türkiye’ ideal,” he declared.

Erdoğan added that security forces had responded swiftly to kill the attackers.

“Let our nation know that any dirty hands reaching towards Türkiye will certainly be broken; no structure, no terrorist organization, no evil focus targeting our security will achieve their goals.”

Deadly attack on Turkish aerospace facility: Two attackers killed

An explosion reported at approximately 15:30 local time at  TAI in Ankara’s Kahramanmaraş district, during a busy shift change at the facility’s main gate where employee shuttle busses were gathered.

The explosion triggerred an armed confrontation between security forces and attackers, reports suggested.

Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the incident as “a terror attack,” immediately after the explosion, stating that there are casualties and injuries adding that two of the attackers are killed.

He has urged the public to rely on official sources for information as the situation develops.

Critical technology center

Turkish Aerospace Industries is a critical technology center for Türkiye’s aviation sector, responsible for designing and manufacturing various air platforms.

It was built for Türkiye’s F-16 fighter jet production program, and both F-16s and CN-235 transport aircraft were manufactured here.

The facilities currently continue to produce drones such as Anka and Aksungur, Gökbey helicopters, and Hürjet aircraft, while development work on the National Combat Aircraft “Kaan” is also ongoing at this location.

Its significance is heightened by its proximity to Mürted Air Base, which was used as a headquarters during the July 15, 2016 military coup attempt initiated by the Fethullah Gülen organization.

This is a developing story.