Hostages freed after nine hours at US plant in Turkey – BBC News

Seven workers who were held captive at a Proctor & Gamble (P&G) plant outside Istanbul have been rescued after a nine-hour ordeal, local officials said.

Turkish police rescued the group from the factory in Gebza after the suspect reportedly went for a bathroom break.

Local governor Seddar Yavuz said the hostages did not suffer any injuries.

The suspect was detained unharmed after the “meticulous” rescue operation, Mr Yavuz added.

The hostage-taker first entered the plant at about 15:00 local time (12:00 GMT), the DHA news agency reported. The hostages were released shortly before midnight local time (21:00 GMT).

Officials said the suspect wanted to draw attention to the ongoing situation in Gaza.

An image earlier emerged on social media showing the man with wires and possibly explosives taped to his chest. He appeared to be holding a hand gun.

A Palestinian flag had reportedly been painted at the entrance of the building with a sign saying “doors will be open for Gaza”.

Police officers cordoned off access to the factory and medical staff were dispatched to the scene.

Officials say a large-scale investigation into the incident is under way.

Footage from the scene during the standoff showed relatives of some hostages clustered together at a police cordon some distance from the plant.

İsmet Zihni, whose wife works at the plant, told the DHA news agency she had sent him a message saying she had been taken hostage.

However, he added he did not know “if it was her or someone else”.

Relatives of the hostages had expressed frustration at the lack of information from Turkish officials or the police.

“We have been waiting for six hours without any official making a statement,” the father of one hostage told AFP earlier.

In a statement, P&G said it was relieved no-one was harmed during the incident.

“We are grateful to the authorities and first responders who managed the situation with courage and professionalism,” the company added.