Written By Lisa Murimi
A Kurdish militant group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) headquarters near Ankara, resulting in the deaths of five people and injuring 22 others.
The PKK stated the assault on TAI, a state-owned defense manufacturer, was planned well in advance, targeting the facility for its production of weapons used in conflict with Kurdish forces.
TAI, a significant player in Turkey’s aerospace sector, develops and manufactures military aircraft, including F-16 fighter jets, and also undertakes modernization projects for the Turkish military.
The Turkish government quickly attributed the attack to PKK members Ali Orek and Mine Sevjin Alcicek, with the PKK’s armed wing, the HPG, describing them as part of its “Immortals Battalion” and praising their determination.
In retaliation, Turkey conducted airstrikes on alleged PKK sites in Iraq and Syria, claiming to have eliminated 59 “terrorists,” though the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces report that 12 civilians were among the dead.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attack as “heinous,” while Vice-President Cevdet Yilmaz identified the victims, including four TAI employees and a taxi driver, highlighting Turkey’s continued commitment to national security.
