Armed Men Take Hostages at American Factory in Turkey in Protest Against Gaza War

Two armed men took seven hostages on Thursday, February 1, at the Procter & Gamble factory located in Kocaeli province in northwestern Turkey, protesting against the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. According to the Associated Press, Turkish media published images of a man inside the factory holding an explosive belt and a weapon, but hours later, a company spokesperson stated that the crisis had ended, all employees were safe, and the assailant had been arrested. Local police had blocked the roads around the factory, and it was reported that officials were attempting to negotiate with the kidnappers. The private news agency DHA reported that the suspects entered the main building of the factory around 3 PM local time and took seven people hostage. This news agency also claimed that the suspects aimed to highlight the human casualties of Palestinians in the Gaza war and draw public attention to this issue. Procter & Gamble's headquarters in the U.S. confirmed the incident. A company spokesperson said, 'The safety of our employees and partners is our top priority. Earlier today (Thursday), we evacuated our factory in Gebze and are working with local authorities to resolve the security crisis.' Since the onset of the war in Gaza, public protests in Turkey supporting Palestinians and criticizing Israel, as well as the United States as its main supporter, have increased in major cities, with protesters calling for an immediate ceasefire. The U.S. Embassy in Ankara had warned in November about these protests and calls for potential boycotts of American businesses in Turkey. This warning followed protests and attacks on restaurants like McDonald's and Starbucks due to the Gaza war.