Armed man in Turkey holds hostages at Procter & Gamble plant

ANKARA — A gun-wielding man stormed a plant belonging to a multinational brand in northwestern Turkey on Thursday, taking people hostage in an apparent protest against Israeli actions in Gaza.

A video taken by one of the hostages inside the Procter & Gamble compound showed the seven people taken captive at the plant in Kocaeli province in a raid around 3:00 p.m. local time. They appear to be unharmed and moved about freely.

A man whose wife is among those being held told Turkey’s Sozcu television outside the plant that the assailant was carrying what appeared to be explosive material on him. The man made the comment after communicating with his wife through Instagram. The man also identified the assailant as a former employee at the plant based on information obtained from her.

A video on the armed man’s Instagram account, apparently taken inside the plant some three hours earlier, showed writing on a wall that reads “The gates will open for Gaza” and Turkey and Palestine flags as well as a weapon sitting on a desk. His Instagram account has numerous postings calling for a boycott against Israel for its actions in Gaza.

Other employees inside the vast operation were evacuated, local authorities confirmed to Al-Monitor, without providing specific details of the incident. Turkish police special forces units have also been dispatched to the area, they said.

Kocaeli Governor Seddar Yavuz left the scene without making a statement to reporters waiting outside, Turkey’s private HaberTurk television reported. 

Footage aired by Turkey’s private Demiroren News Agency showed police cordoning off roads leading to the plant. Ambulances were also dispatched to the scene, purportedly as a precaution. 

Police on the case have contacted the assailant to encourage him to end the standoff, according to Turkish media.

In November, the US Embassy in Ankara warned US citizens against potential attacks on certain US-branded businesses amid ongoing mass protests against Israel over the ongoing war in Gaza. 

Local branches of several multinational chains, including McDonalds and Starbucks, experienced protests, boycotts, and vandalism by demonstrators throughout late October and early November as the humanitarian toll in Gaza increased. 

P&G opened the $80 million plant in Kocaeli’s Gebze district in 2017.

This is a developing story and will be updated.