Tehran censures deadly terrorist attack on Turkish aerospace firm
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned a deadly terrorist attack on a top Turkish defense firm near the capital Ankara, calling for concerted efforts to eradicate the inhumane phenomenon of terrorism.
In a violent assault on Wednesday, at least five people were killed and nearly two dozen others wounded as a result of a huge explosion at Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in Ankara, with Turkey’s government pointing the finger of blame at Kurdish militant groups.
Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, offered in a statement his condolences to the bereaved families of the victims of the terrorist attack as well as to the people and government of the neighboring and friendly country of Turkey, as he prayed for the swift recovery of those injured in the incident.
Condemning terrorism in all forms and manifestations, Baghaei underlined, “The Islamic Republic is ready to work with other countries, not least its neighbors, to prevent and confront this inhumane phenomenon.”
The huge blast rocked the headquarters of the state-run Turkish defense firm some 40 kilometers north of Ankara, sending clouds of smoke into the air as the sound of gunfire rang out.
Security forces, firefighters and paramedics were dispatched to the area, while TAI's personnel were directed to shelters for security reasons.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said two terrorists who attacked the facilities were "neutralized," while five people were killed and 22 injured, who were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
"The way in which this action was carried out is very probably linked to the PKK," Yerlikaya added, referring to Kurdistan Workers' Party militant group, which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the deadly attack..
PKK militants regularly clash with Turkish forces in the Kurdish-dominated southeast of Turkey attached to northern Iraq.
Turkey, along with the European Union and the United States, has declared the PKK a terrorist group and banned it. The militant group has been seeking an autonomous Kurdish region since 1984.
Turkish ground and air forces frequently carry out operations against PKK positions in the country as well as in northern Iraq and neighboring Syria.
More than 40,000 people have been killed during the three-decade conflict between Turkey and the autonomy-seeking militant group.
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