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Local sources from Turkey: Diken, AKDENİZ GERÇEK.
UK coverage: Al-Monitor.

A hostage situation at a Procter & Gamble plant near Istanbul has ended without any casualties after a nine-hour standoff. The armed assailant, a former worker at the plant, took seven people hostage in protest against Israeli actions in Gaza. The Turkish security forces were able to neutralize the assailant after negotiations failed. The man’s goal was to stop the Israeli massacres in Gaza and open the Rafah border crossing.

According to reports from Diken, the hostage crisis took place at the Procter & Gamble factory located in the Gebze district of Kocaeli. Special operations forces, along with numerous police, gendarmerie, and medical teams, were dispatched to the facility. The street where the factory is located was closed to traffic.

The assailant, who was armed with a gun, wrote on the wall, ‘The doors will open. Either a funeral or death for Gaza.’ The hostages, who were unharmed, were eventually rescued by the authorities. The suspect, a former employee of the factory, was captured.

AKDENİZ GERÇEK provides additional details about the incident. It is alleged that the suspect entered the factory to protest Israel’s attacks on Gaza and took the workers hostage. There were claims that the suspect had a bomb on him. In response to the situation, a large number of police, gendarmerie, health, and fire brigade teams were dispatched to the area.

During the hostage crisis, a birthday celebration took place for one of the factory employees. Colleagues, who had prepared in advance, requested permission from the attackers to celebrate the birthday. With the attackers’ permission, a birthday celebration was held, and the hostages were seen to be in good health in a video that emerged.

The incident at the Procter & Gamble factory in Gebze, Kocaeli, is currently under investigation. The authorities are working to determine the motives behind the assailant’s actions and ensure the safety of the workers. The situation highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the Israeli actions in Gaza and the impact they have on individuals and communities worldwide.