The Tusas arms company in Ankara was apparently the target of a terrorist attack. The state-owned company takes on an important function for the Turkish government.
According to government reports, three people were killed in an attack on the premises of the Tusas arms company in the Turkish capital Ankara. In addition, 14 people were injured, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on the X platform. The media published footage showing suspected assassins with firearms. Read more about this here.
But what kind of company is Tusas? Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI or in Turkish: Tusas) was founded in 1984. The group specializes in the development and manufacture of military and civil aerospace systems.
video | Possible terrorist attack near Ankara: Video shows armed attacker
Source: t-online
The company produces, among other things, fighter jets, drones, satellites and helicopters. Tusas plays a central role in the Turkish defense industry, working for both the Turkish military and international customers.
In particular, it is intended to ensure that Turkey becomes more independent of foreign countries when it comes to arms matters. This is also why Tusas is a state-owned company – a subsidiary of the state defense industry agency – so that the Turkish government can have a say. In the meantime the company was in private hands. Among other things, the defense company Lockheed Martin held shares in the company.
Among other things, Tusas helped develop the prototypes of the Turkish Kaan fighter jet. The company also produces the T129 ATAK attack helicopter, which was specifically designed for the Turkish armed forces.
Tusas has also developed the Anka drones (in German: Phoenix) for reconnaissance and surveillance missions. These are capable of flying long distances and providing information in real time.
The company contributed to the development of the “Göktürk” satellite program. These satellites are used for civil and military purposes to provide Earth observation data.