Hostages rescued at P&G factory in Gebze
In the district of Gebze in Kocaeli, the armed individual who had taken 7 people hostage at the Procter and Gamble (P&G) factory, an American chemical consumer products manufacturer, "in protest against Israel's invasion of Gaza," was apprehended through a security operation last night. The hostages were rescued unharmed.
Relatives of the hostages expressed their frustration, stating that they had not received information from authorities for an extended period.
Armed individual takes 7 people hostage at the P&G factory in Gebze
A former employee
Kocaeli Governor Seddar Yavuz, announcing the end of the hostage crisis to the media, stated, "No harm came to any of the hostages."
The Governor confirmed that the assailant was a former employee of the organization.
Governor Yavuz provided information about the incident, stating, "We had positioned ourselves accordingly when the assailant came out to meet his needs. The law enforcement took the necessary actions."
Yavuz, stating that the assailant had "two firearms" and "devices on him," mentioned, "We evaluated every possibility." The Kocaeli Governor emphasized that the assailant couldn't find an opportunity to fire: "Our colleagues rendered him ineffective with a very quick move. It is true that he was a former employee."
The Governor stated that both the assailant and the hostages are unharmed.
Seven individuals taken hostage
During the attack, it was reported that among the seven individuals, six are male and one is female. Three of them are accountants, one is a project manager, and the remaining three are factory personnel.
Initially, it was claimed that there were two individuals conducting an armed raid on the factory. However, the Governor stated that the action was organized by a single person.
Birthday celebration
According to the Kocaeli Halk Gazetesi's report, during the attack where seven individuals were taken hostage, factory workers, who had previously prepared for the birthday celebration of one of the hostages, carried out the celebration with the permission of the assailant. Images of the celebration, where candles on the cake were lit and blown out, were shared on social media. (AEK/PE)