'Pro-Hamas suicide bombers' storm US-owned factory in Turkey and take hostages
Two suspected "suicide bombers" have stormed a US-owned Procter and Gamble factory in Turkey, taking hostages in protest at Israel's war in Gaza.
In the latest update as of 9pm, Turkish media report all seven hostages have been rescued, after an eight hour ordeal, and a man has been arrested. Tele1 reports "Families burst into tears when they heard that their relatives were rescued".
An image circulating on social media showed a hostage taker posing with what appears to be a suicide vest strapped to his chest. It has been circulated by a Turkish news agency. He poses by a wall which has been scrawled with a message.
And late tonight it has been reported that the man is a former worker at the factory who worked with a second gunman - though this has not been officially confirmed.
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The full image circulating todayIn an updated statement tonight, Procter and Gamble said: "We can confirm that the situation at P&G’s plant in Gebze, Türkiye has been resolved and all personnel are safe. The assailant was apprehended by law enforcement authorities and personnel who were being held were safely evacuated. The fact that no one was harmed is our greatest relief. We are grateful to the authorities and first responders who managed the situation with courage and professionalism."
The news agency, DHA reported that the main building of the Procter and Gamble (P&G) factory in the Gebze district of Kocaeli was stormed by one or more people with guns at 3pm. It is claimed that seven hostages were taken. Three of the hostages are said to be accountants, one a project manager, and three were general factory staff.
In the photo circulating online, the suspected hostage taker stands next to the wall where the words "for Gaza" have been painted in red, and the Palestinian flag has been spray painted onto the wall. He conceals his face behind a keffiyeh, the black and white scarf that is seen as an emblem of Palestine.
P&G is a US-owned cosmetics giant. It employs 500 people at the £63 million factory compound which is on the eastern outskirts of a city in the Kocaeli province.. It is understood the company evacuated its staff and police are working on the release of the seven hostages. The company referred to it as "an urgent security situation" in a statement shared with media outlets.
On the wall, the Turkish flag has also been painted next to the Palestinian one. The words "The gates will open for Gaza" are written in red.
Turkish media published the image of one of the purported suspects inside the factory, a man wearing what appeared to be a rudimentary explosives belt and holding a handgun.
Private news agency DHA said the suspects entered the main building of the facility in Gebze in the province of Kocaeli, at around 3pm local time (12pm GMT) and took seven members of staff hostage.
It claimed the suspects' actions were to highlight the loss of life in the Palestinian enclave. Some 27,000 have been killed in Israel's military operation since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.
The scene outside the factoryIsmet Zihni said his wife Suheyla was among the hostages. Speaking from near the factory, he told DHA that he had called her. "She answered `We've been taken hostage, we're fine' and she hung up," he said.
Videos which appear to have been taken by the hostages have emerged online, appearing to show the seven hostages walking around freely, and they seem to be unharmed. Meanwhile a video posted on an Instagram account believed to belong to the man shows a handgun on a desk next to the wall, and alongside cigarettes and a lighter. The Instagram account it was posted to is reported to have made several posts urging a boycott of Israel.
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Police sealed off surrounding roads at the factory and were said to be trying to negotiate with the hostage-takers.
P&G's head office in Cincinnati confirmed an ongoing incident. A spokesperson said: "The safety of P&G people and our partners is our top priority. Earlier today, we evacuated our Gebze facility and are working with local authorities to resolve an urgent security situation."
Owner of Gebze Yenigün Newspaper, Uğur Saray, told TELE1: "It is one of the largest factories in the OIZ. It is a business with high security measures. You go through a two or three stage system. According to the information we have received, it is claimed that an unidentified person jumped over the fence and took one or more people hostage.
"It is considered to be an action related to the Gaza war. We could not get any information about the number of attackers who took hostages. We have not received any information from the authorities yet."
P&G Turkey employs 700 people at three sites in Istanbul and Kocaeli, according to the company's website. It produces cleaning and hygiene brands such as Ariel washing powder and Oral B toothpaste.
The roads have been closedPublic feeling against Israel and its main ally the U.S. has risen in Turkey since the conflict began, with regular protests in support of the Palestinian people in major cities and calls for an immediate cease-fire.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been particularly outspoken, referring to Israeli "war crimes" and comparing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
The U.S. Embassy in Ankara issued a warning in November about demonstrations "critical of U.S. foreign policy" and calls for boycotts of U.S. businesses. The advice followed protests and attacks on outlets such as McDonald's and Starbucks over the conflict in Gaza.
The photograph of the suspect carried in the Turkish media shows him with a black-and-white Arabic headscarf covering his face. He is standing next to a graffitied wall showing the Turkish and Palestinian flags with the slogan "The gates will open. Either musalla or death for Gaza." A musalla is an open prayer area for Muslims, usually used for funeral rites.
DHA also published a photograph of some of the hostages celebrating a birthday. It reported that the staff had brought a cake into work for one of their colleagues and the hostage-takers allowed them to celebrate.
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