Turkey – Is Another War Starting?

After an attack in Ankara that killed five people, Turkey’s Air Force has struck 32 targets linked to the Kurdish militant group PKK in Iraq and Syria. Defense ministry says its a response to the PKK after blaming it for an attack near Ankara that killed five people.

“An air operation was carried out against terrorist targets in the north of Iraq and Syria… and a total of 32 targets belonging to the terrorists were successfully destroyed,” the ministry says in a statement, adding that operations are continuing.

Representational Image Only (courtesy – Hasan Hüseyin Yücel, Pexels.com)

With Turkey’s retaliation on Iraq’s and Syria’s land, is this a knock of another conflict in the region? While coming few days will be crucial in this regard, we will keep you posted, with facts.

Turkey – Attack That Killed Five and Hostage Situation:

A major explosion outside the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) headquarters near Ankara on Wednesday left several dead and 14 injured in what Turkey’s interior minister described as a “terrorist attack”. Initial footage from local media showed thick smoke and a large fire at the site in Kahramankazan, a town 40 KMs north of Ankara, with reports suggesting a possible ongoing hostage situation.

Armed attackers launched the assault, killing four people and injuring 14, with three of the injured in critical condition, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Two assailants, a man and a woman, were also killed, as reported by CNN.

Turkey’s Anadolu Agency reported that a loud explosion occurred at the TUSAS headquarters, followed by gunfire. The exact cause of the explosion and gunfire remained unclear, though some reports speculated it was a suicide attack. Emergency services were quickly dispatched to the scene.

Interior Minister Yerlikaya confirmed the attack on social media platform X, noting the casualties. Some reports indicated that hostages were being held inside the building, but officials have not confirmed this. Witnesses told Reuters that employees were taken to shelters and not allowed to leave, with bombings possibly occurring at exits as workers were leaving for the day.

Television footage showed a damaged gate and an exchange of gunfire in a parking lot, with attackers carrying assault rifles and backpacks as they entered the premises. Anadolu also reported that prosecutors had opened an investigation into the attack. TUSAS, a key player in Turkey’s defense and aviation industry, produces the KAAN, the country’s first national combat aircraft, and employs over 10,000 people.