sAccording to the governor of Kokeli province (northwest), the smuggler, a former employee, was detained without violence during a brief police operation.
“Our security forces carried out their operation without injuring the hostage while he was going to the bathroom,” the governor told reporters at the scene, noting that the assailant did not claim to be part of any political or activist group.
The hijacker called for an end to Israeli military operations in Gaza and the opening of the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, Yaws added.
Families gathered near the scene confirmed to France-Presse (AFP) that the seven hostages, including a 26-year-old woman, were safe.
According to the governor, a man with “two weapons” and “an explosive device” entered the site around 2:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. in Lisbon).
According to a photo posted by one of the hostages on the social networking site Instagram – verified by AFP – the man appeared with his face partially covered by a 'keffiyeh', a scarf representing the Palestinian cause.
“For Gaza,” a prominent message read in red on the wall behind the hijacker, with two flags, Turkish and Palestinian, facing each other.
The Gebze factory in Istanbul's eastern suburbs was “preemptively evacuated”, a spokeswoman for US household and hygiene products maker Procter & Gamble told AFP.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of Israel's most prominent leaders since the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, has repeatedly denounced US support for Israel, which he calls a state of terror and genocide.
Calls to boycott US products have also been widely publicized in Turkey since the start of the conflict. Several McDonald's restaurants and Starbucks cafes – operating under a Turkish license – were destroyed across the country.
In early November, Turkish police had to use tear gas to break up a pro-Palestinian demonstration organized in front of a military base housing US troops, hours before US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was due to visit Ankara.
Demonstrations continue to take place in the country in support of the Palestinians.
Also read: Workers held hostage at factory in Turkiye. It will be a struggle for Gaza
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