Deadly attack near Ankara: death toll rises

A tragic attack shook Turkey on Wednesday 23 October, leaving four people dead and fourteen injured outside the headquarters of the defence industries near Ankara, according to information provided by the local authorities.

An act of violence condemned

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the attack as ‘heinous’ and announced from Kazan, Russia, that ‘four people were martyred and 14 injured’. During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the latter expressed his condolences. The Minister of the Interior, Ali Yerlikaya, updated the initial death toll, confirming that there were four fatalities, but adding that three of the injured were in critical condition.

Details of the attack

The events occurred at around 4pm local time, triggering gunfire that continued to ring out after the explosion until 5.30pm. To date, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Ministry of Justice immediately launched an investigation to identify those responsible.

Official reactions

Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the facilities of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc (TUSAS) and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. In the same vein, Özgür Özel, Leader of the Opposition and President of the CHP, also condemned ‘the terrorist attack’, affirming his rejection of terrorism, whatever its origin. NATO Secretary General Mark Rütte expressed his support for Turkey, saying he stood by his ally.

Security context

This attack comes as a major defence and aerospace industry exhibition is taking place this week in Istanbul, attracting the Ukrainian foreign minister among others. The defence sector, famous for its Bayraktar drones, has generated nearly 80% of Turkey’s export revenues, reaching 10.2 billion dollars in 2023.

As a reminder, the last major attack in Turkey took place in January in a church in Istanbul, causing the death of one person, and was claimed by Daesh. Previously, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) carried out an attack in October 2023 in Ankara, killing two assailants and wounding two police officers.