Seven hostages rescued as Turkish police detain gunman protesting Gaza war at Procter & Gamble factory

Turkish police authorities, in a swift and successful operation, apprehended an armed man and rescued a total of seven staff members kept hostage at a Procter & Gamble (PG.N) facility in northwestern Turkey on Thursday (Feb 1).

The Kocaeli governor's office confirmed that the hostages, which included six men and a woman, were safe and not unharmed. Notably, the rescue operation was initiated after negotiations with the assailant, an employee of the factory, proved unsuccessful.

"Our security forces intervened and neutralised the suspect," stated the governor's office. The motive behind the hostage-taking was revealed as a protest against Israel's onslaught in Gaza and the hostage-taker wanted to "draw attention" to the ongoing "occupation" in the besieged territory.

The assailant entered the Procter & Gamble facility in the Gebze industrial zone in Kocaeli province during day time, at around 3 pm (1200 GMT), reported Reuters while giving information pertaining to the incident which unfolded in the major Turkish city, around 466 kilometres from the capital of Ankara. 

Ops at Procter & Gamble factory to rescue hostages

To tackle the situation, the Turkish police responded promptly. As per reports, firstly, the police tried to convince the hostage-taker to surrender peacefully, however, the plans failed to bore fruit and thus the rescue operation was kicked off by the authorities.  

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Earlier, a photograph was circulated which showed the assailant inside the factory. In that, his face was seen covered with a Palestinian scarf, and possibly wearing an explosive device.

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A separate image showed the hostage-taker in possession of a gun. He was seen making a 'V' sign in front of Turkish and Palestinian flags with this written on it - "Gates will open. Either coffin rest or death for Gaza," underscoring the protest's connection to the hostage situation.

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This incident occurred against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, the deadliest since 1948, showing no signs of abating. The short-lived cease-fire between Israel and Hamas couldn't lead to the rescue of all the hostages, with more than 100 of them still waiting to be freed from the clutches of the militant group. 

(With inputs from agencies)