- Hostage situation at Procter & Gamble factory in Turkey resolved, all personnel safely evacuated
- Two gunmen took seven hostages in protest against Israel-Hamas war in Gaza
- Suspects detained, hostages unharmed; situation used as platform to draw attention to loss of life in Gaza
Additional Coverage:
A hostage situation at a Procter & Gamble factory in Gebze, northwest Turkey, has been resolved, with all personnel safely evacuated, according to officials on Thursday. The incident occurred when two gunmen took seven hostages, in what appears to be a protest against the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Law enforcement authorities apprehended one assailant, and the hostages were safely evacuated without harm. A photograph published by Turkish media showed one of the suspects inside the factory wearing a rudimentary explosives belt and holding a handgun.
The suspect in the photograph was seen wearing a black-and-white Arabic headscarf and standing next to a wall with graffitied Turkish and Palestinian flags, along with the slogan “The gates will open. Either musalla or death for Gaza.” Local officials reported that the police staged a raid when one of the gunmen took a bathroom break nine hours into the standoff. The suspect was detained unharmed. The suspects entered the main building of the facility in Gebze and took seven staff members hostage.
The suspects claimed their actions were to draw attention to the loss of life in Gaza, where the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry reports that 27,000 people have been killed in Israel’s military operation since October. Ismet Zihni, whose wife Suheyla was among the hostages, confirmed the situation and his wife’s safety. Police sealed off the surrounding roads and attempted negotiations with the hostage-takers.
Procter & Gamble’s head office in Cincinnati confirmed the ongoing incident and stated that the safety of their employees and partners was their top priority. P&G Turkey employs 700 people across three sites and produces cleaning and hygiene brands such as Ariel washing powder and Oral B toothpaste. Public sentiment against Israel and the United States has grown in Turkey since the start of the conflict, leading to protests in support of the Palestinian people and calls for an immediate cease-fire.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been vocal in his criticism of Israel, referring to their actions as “war crimes” and even comparing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. The U.S. Embassy in Ankara issued a warning concerning demonstrations critical of U.S. foreign policy and calls for boycotts of American businesses due to the conflict in Gaza.
During the hostage situation, some of the hostages were able to celebrate a birthday, as reported by DHA. The staff brought a cake to work for a colleague, and the hostage-takers allowed them to celebrate the occasion.