Turkish law enforcement personnel successfully detained an armed individual who was responsible for taking hostages at a Procter & Gamble (PG.N) factory in the country's northwest on Thursday.
Police were also able to rescue seven people who were taken captive, which ended a protest against Israel's military campaign in Gaza. In a statement, the Kocaeli governor's office reported that the hostages were left unharmed, adding that the police operation to rescue them was launched after negotiations with suspects broke down.
In a statement, the local governor's office added that their security forces intervened and neutralized the suspect in the hostage-taking incident. Officials also said that the suspect was an employee of the factory who allegedly "wanted to draw attention to the ongoing occupation in Gaza."
The individual was said to have entered the factory in the Gebze industrial zone in Kocaeli province at around 3:00 p.m. It was also reported that police had then rushed to the scene and sought to persuade him to give himself up to authorities, as per Reuters.
The hostages that were taken captive by the suspect were identified to be six men and one woman. A photograph that was released by local media earlier in the incident showed a man who was inside the factory. His face was covered with a Palestinian scarf and was wearing what looked to be an explosive device.
Another image of the scene showed the individual holding a firearm in one hand while making a "V" sign with his other hand in front of a wall where Turkish and Palestinian flags were painted with a script. The text read, "Gates will open. Either coffin rest or death for Gaza."
Local governor Seddaw Yavuz said that fortunately, none of the hostages were injured during the incident. Video footage of the scene during the standoff between the suspect and police showed some relatives of the hostages clustered together at a police cordon found a distance from the plant.
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Apprehending the Suspect
The husband of a woman who works at the plant, Ismet Zihni, said that her partner sent him a message saying that she had been taken hostage by the suspect. However, he noted that he did not know "if it was her or someone else" who sent the message, according to the BBC.
Relatives of the victims also expressed their frustration at the lack of information that was given by Turkish officials or law enforcement authorities. The father of one of the hostages said that they had waited for six hours and had not heard any official making a statement about the incident.
P&G also issued a statement, saying that it was relieved that none of the hostages were harmed during the entire situation. The company added that it was grateful to authorities and first responders who were able to manage the situation with courage and professionalism.
Officials said that police were able to swoop in and arrest the suspect after he allegedly went to the bathroom. It was said that he claimed his actions were an attempt to highlight the loss of life in the war-torn Palestinian territory, said The Guardian.
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