The gunman with the words “For the sake of Gaza” behind him (social networking sites)
The Turkish authorities announced that they had arrested an armed man who detained employees at a factory for the American company "Procter & Gamble" near Istanbul, and were able to rescue 7 hostages, thus ending the operation that came in protest against the Israeli war on Gaza.
The Kocaeli governor's office said in a statement yesterday, Thursday, that the hostages were unharmed, noting that the rescue operation began after negotiations with their captor, who is also an employee at the factory, failed.
The statement added, "Our security forces intervened and neutralized the suspect," who "wanted to draw attention to the ongoing occupation of Gaza."
The Turkish Demiroran News Agency reported earlier that the gunman entered the factory located in the Gebze industrial zone in Kocaeli province around three in the afternoon local time (12 noon GMT), and that the police rushed to the place and tried to convince the man to surrender himself.
A Turkish citizen 🇹🇷 raided an American company’s factory in #Kocaeli and took 7 people hostage in protest against the genocide supported by #America in #Gaza and shared this video from inside. #Gaza_resists_and_will_victorious #Al-Nasr_Intramami pic.twitter.com/5YgKhiBXxL
- Sarah Erdogan.. Türkiye 🇹🇷 (@sarahArdogn) February 1, 2024
A photo published by local media showed the man inside the factory, masked with a Palestinian keffiyeh, carrying a weapon and making a victory sign in front of a wall on which the Turkish and Palestinian flags were drawn and the phrase “For Gaza” was written on it.
Since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza, Turkey has witnessed many demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people and demanding that the Turkish government take action to stop the massacres.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies