Turkey mounts offensive against Kurdish strongholds
Recently, there's been no acknowledgment of responsibility for the assault on a significant weapons manufacturer in Ankara. The Turkish administration accuses the PKK of being behind the attack. Later in the evening, the military conducted aerial strikes against PKK strongholds and those of their associates.
Following the assault, which claimed at least five lives and left 22 injured, Turkey carried out airstrikes on targets in northern Syria and northern Iraq. The Turkish Ministry of Defense declared that 32 targets had been eliminated, as reported by the state news agency Anadolu. They further stated, "Our airstrikes will continue with determination."
Previously, Turkey had associated the attack with the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK). Turkey frequently confronts the PKK, which operates from the Kandil Mountains in northern Iraq, as well as the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG in northern Syria, which they view as an offshoot of the PKK.
Two suspected assailants, a male and a female, were killed during the afternoon attack on one of Turkey's primary defense companies. At least five people were killed, and 22 were injured when the attackers detonated explosives and opened fire. The Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, stated that the attack bore the signatures of the PKK, but no group has thus far claimed responsibility.
The targeted company, Turkish Aerospace Industries (Tusas), is a subsidiary of the country's state defense industry agency. Tusas is a major manufacturer of combat aircraft and drones, as per analyst Murat Yetkin, which are utilized by Turkey in its battle against both the PKK and Islamic State (IS).
Possible hindrance to potential peace process
In the past, both IS, the radical left-wing DHKP-C, and the PKK have carried out significant attacks in Turkey, including in Ankara. For example, in October 2023, a suicide bomber detonated outside the Interior Ministry in Ankara, injuring two officials. The PKK took responsibility for the attack. Turkey responded with numerous arrests within the country and aerial strikes in northern Iraq, where the PKK's headquarters are located.
The latest attack comes shortly after the ultranationalists of the MHP party proposed the idea of releasing PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. The MHP is a component of Erdogan's government. Its leader, Devlet Bahçeli, linked this proposal to the disarmament of the terrorist organization. Some observers perceive this as a sign that a new peace process may be in the works between the government and the PKK.
The European Union, expressing concern over the escalating violence in Turkey, has urged all parties involved to engage in dialogue and promote peace. Unprovoked attacks such as the one on Turkish Aerospace Industries (Tusas) can undermine the potential for a peaceful resolution with the PKK and hinder any progress towards a peace process.
