Armed attackers launched a deadly “terror” attack on Turkey’s state-run aerospace company near the capital Ankara on Wednesday, according to government officials.

At least five people were killed and 22 injured in the attack on the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) headquarters in Ankara’s outskirts, said Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Two attackers—a man and a woman—were killed in the assault, he added.

Among the dead were four TUSAS employees and the taxi driver who drove the assailants to the facility, according to Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılma.

Social media video verified by CNN showed when an explosion rocked the TUSAS headquarters. After the blast, an individual holding a firearm is seen running in what appears to be a parking lot.

In another video, verified by CNN, CCTV footage shows the attackers wearing backpacks and carrying firearms as they approach the aerospace company’s headquarters.

Turkey’s Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, stated on Thursday that both assailants were identified as members of the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the PKK. The PKK, a Kurdish separatist group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU, and the US, has not claimed responsibility for the attack.

On Wednesday, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler addressed the incident, saying, “We [Turkey] punish the dishonourable PKK members as they deserve over and over again, but they never seem to learn.”

Following the attack, several Kurdish areas in Syria and Iraq were hit by Turkish airstrikes.

Footage shows the assailants approaching the aerospace site’s entrance on Wednesday, October 23, where a fatal terror attack would soon take place. The attack occurred a day after a leader of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party addressed Kurdish relations in Parliament, suggesting an offer to release the PKK’s jailed leader if he would disband the organization.

A ‘vile attack’
Mourners gathered in Ankara on Thursday for a joint funeral for three of the victims.

The taxi driver, Murat Arslan, was reportedly killed by the assailants, with his body hidden in the trunk of his car after he picked them up from a taxi stand, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

One of the TUSAS employees, Zahide Güçlü, was headed to the facility’s entrance to receive flowers sent by her husband when the attack occurred, Anadolu reported.

In response, TUSAS’s general manager Mehmet Demiroglu left a high-profile defence fair early to return to Ankara, as reported by Anadolu.

According to its website, TUSAS, established under Turkey’s Ministry of Industry and Technology in 1973, aims to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign defence imports.

“This is one of the country’s biggest, largest defence companies. It’s producing armed drones and fighter jets,” Ragip Soylu, Turkey bureau chief for Middle East Eye, told CNN.

The attack happened while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in Kazan, Russia, for the BRICS summit. He condemned the “hateful attack” alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, who extended condolences.

On X (formerly Twitter), Erdogan called the incident a “vile attack” against Turkey’s defence sector. “I extend my best wishes to our nation and the devoted employees of TUSAS, the source of pride for our defence industry,” Erdogan wrote.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reached out to Erdogan, describing the attack as “deeply concerning” and expressing solidarity, saying, “NATO stands with Turkey.”

Ankara’s mayor, Mansur Yavas, expressed sorrow over the attack on TUSAS, a critical defence entity. Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced an investigation into the incident.

Wednesday’s assault is expected to “raise a lot of questions” in Turkey, which has not experienced this level of violence for several years, Turkey expert Aslı Aydıntaşbaş.

Aydıntaşbaş, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, noted that the attack was the first of its kind in “several years” and took place while Turkey’s government was “exploring the idea of a peace process” with the PKK.

“An attack on a major Turkish defence contractor, a public company, but also the crown jewel of Turkey’s defence industry, is going to be a huge trauma,” she said on Wednesday.

Turkey hits Kurdish areas in Iraq and Syria.
In the wake of the Ankara attack, Turkey’s defence ministry confirmed strikes on PKK targets in northern Iraq and Syria, as reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency.

“Turkish forces destroyed 32 terrorist targets in an air operation conducted in northern Iraq and Syria, and a significant number of terrorists were ‘neutralized,’” Anadolu reported.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF], which operates in northeastern Syria, reported that Turkish shelling hit the cities of Kobani and Tal Rifa’at. SDF media head Farhad Shami claimed in a statement on Wednesday that the shelling killed two civilians and injured six others.

“Turkey indiscriminately and unjustifiably bombards our areas, targeting civilian, service, and health centres. This is a war crime,” SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdî said on X.

While the US differentiates between the SDF and the PKK, Turkey considers the SDF and its People’s Protection Units (YPG)—a US-backed Kurdish militia active in fighting ISIS—as affiliated with the PKK.

Relatives of employees gather in the aftermath of the attack on Turkey’s state-run aerospace company near Ankara.

Meanwhile, in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Mawat district mayor Kamiran Hassan reported that Mount Asos in the Sulaymaniyah province was twice targeted by Turkish airstrikes, according to CNN.

President Erdogan has maintained that his long-term objective is to eliminate the PKK, which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state for over three decades. Turkey has also voiced opposition to the strong Kurdish presence in Syria’s northeast, near its border. In 2019, Turkey began a military offensive in northeastern Syria aimed at pushing Kurdish forces away from its border.

Broadcast ban in the wake of the attack
Following the attack, Turkey’s Directorate of Communications Center for Countering Disinformation advised people to rely only on official statements and to avoid believing “unfounded allegations.”

A broadcast ban was put in place by Turkish authorities, with social media platforms instructed to prevent the spread of unconfirmed reports and images. Broadcasters and social media companies face “severe sanctions” if they fail to comply, according to Ebubekir Şahin, head of Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council, who made the statement on X.

After the announcement, internet monitoring firm Netblocks reported social media restrictions in Turkey on platforms such as X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Russian President Putin conveyed condolences, saying, “You know how we feel about this. We condemn any manifestations of this kind, no matter what their motivations are.”

The US Embassy in Turkey condemned the attack, stating on X, “We stand with our ally Turkey.”