PKK Attack on Turkish Aerospace Giant: Is Mossad Involved?

On October 23, 2024, a gunman launched an attack on TUSAS, Turkey's aerospace and defense giant, in the Kizilcahamam district of Ankara.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that five individuals were killed and 22 others wounded in the assault, with both assailants reportedly 'neutralized.'

The PKK, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, claimed responsibility for the attack.

What exactly is TUSAS? And why have Turkish journalists and activists directed accusations towards the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad as a potential key player in this targeted strike against the Turkish company?

Timing of the Attack

Notably, the assault coincided with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's arrival in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, Russia, to participate in a BRICS summit, an international relations conference.

Just a day before the attack, on October 22, Erdogan stated during a broader meeting of the Justice and Development Party that his government was working to strengthen the domestic front as the flames ignited by “Israel” in Gaza and Lebanon drew closer to Turkey.

Turkish politician Fatih Tezcan commented on the timing of the attack on TUSAS, which is producing the Kagan, Turkey's first fifth-generation fighter jet.

He posted on X: “The attack coincided with the first day of Turkey's largest defense industry exhibition, where significant contracts are expected to be signed.”

Currently, the Saha Expo Turkey’s, leading international defense and aerospace exhibition, is being held in Istanbul, under the auspices of the Turkish presidency.

The exhibition features 1,478 companies from 120 countries, along with 178 foreign procurement delegations and 312 official delegations, including 25 at the ministerial level.

Turkish Defense Industries Agency President Haluk Gorgun forecasted that the value of contracts signed during the exhibition would exceed $6 billion.

Tezcan also linked the attack to the call by Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Erdogan's ally, to release PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan from prison. 

Bahceli, MHP leader, made this request in order to announce the dissolution of the organization, which is designated as a terrorist group, in front of the Turkish Parliament, sparking widespread controversy and outrage.

After authorities confirmed the involvement of the PKK and its Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), in the TUSAS operation, Turkish fighter jets targeted 32 Kurdish positions in northern Iraq and Syria.

An Israeli Message

In this context, signals pointing to the role of Mossad in orchestrating the attack on TUSAS were notably present in the statements of prominent Turkish politicians.

Indeed, the hashtag "Mossad" trended on social media in Turkey for hours, alongside the hashtag "TUSAS"

In a post on X, Journalist Nisa Caydan wrote, “President Erdogan said exactly 3 weeks ago, "Israel has set its sights on Anatolia. Israel's target is Turkiye.”

She further added, “While Erdogan was at the BRICS summit, TAI [Turkish Aerospace Industries] was attacked. MOSSAD and CIA are at work. Israel is responsible for this attack.”

In this context, Yigit Bulut, an advisor to the Turkish president, stated on X that, “Global powers that prevent Turkey from purchasing, partnering with, and supplying 5th generation aircraft are attacking the facility where Turkey manufactures its own combat aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.”

He further questioned those dismissing the idea of an Israeli attack on Turkey, especially as President Erdogan advances Turkey's shift away from Western imperialism saying: “The global attack on the TURKISH HOMELAND has already begun.”

The Turkish Journalist Ibrahim Karagul shared an image of the unmanned fighter jet "Kagan," produced by TUSAS, featuring a team of Turks alongside several Arab officials.

Karagul suggested that Mossad aimed to send a message to Turkey by seeking to halt this technology and posing the question of “If Türkiye joins BRICS, will NATO fall apart?”

Another prominent Turkish journalist Ahmed Ay posted on X  alongside an image of the fighter jet "Kagan", "Neither NATO nor Mossad are capable of stopping this rise. Their fears are not groundless, but their attacks are futile."

Turkey and Mossad

Turkey has been a clear and significant target for Mossad for years. 

In 2024, the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT), in collaboration with the police, successfully dismantled multiple Mossad cells operating within the country.

One of the most significant blows to Mossad came on August 30, 2024, when Turkish authorities arrested "Liridon Rexhepi," the head of the Mossad’s financial network in Turkey.

Investigations revealed that Rexhepi was transferring funds to field agents under Mossad's instructions, who were conducting aerial surveillance using drones. 

These operatives were also gathering intelligence related to Turkish defense companies and their activities on battlefields, particularly in Syria, thereby linking financial operations to broader espionage efforts against Turkey.

On April 5, 2024, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the detention of eight individuals suspected of working for Mossad.

In a statement on X, Yerlikaya emphasized that the ministry is monitoring various espionage activities within Turkey, asserting, "We will never allow espionage activities that are attempted to be carried out against our national unity and solidarity within the borders of our country. We are following up."

On March 7, 2024, the announcement by Turkish authorities regarding the arrest of a former security chief linked to a cell associated with Mossad caused a stir.

Turkish security forces detained seven other individuals in connection with Mossad during a joint operation conducted by the Turkish intelligence agency and the Istanbul Police Department.

This operation followed the arrest of a network of seven people just a month earlier, part of a heightened Turkish security campaign launched at the beginning of 2024 to combat Israeli espionage within the country.

In January 2024, a Turkish court had ordered the detention of 15 individuals and the deportation of eight others suspected of having ties to Mossad.

TUSAS Strategic Force

TUSAS, the target of the recent terrorist attack, ranked 69th in Defense News' 2019 list of the world's top defense companies.

The company has significantly contributed to numerous Turkish domestic weapons programs, including drones and the Atak and Gokbay helicopters.

By 2017, TUSAS’s budget had reached around $1 billion, with its most notable achievement being the production of the Kagan, Turkey's pride in fifth-generation fighter jet technology.

On March 20, 2024, President Erdogan announced that, thanks to the new Kagan fighter, Turkey has become one of only four countries capable of producing fifth-generation combat aircraft.

During a rally for the Justice and Development Party in Isparta city, Erdogan stated that Ankara is among the top three countries in the world in drone technology.

Haluk Gorgun, head of the Turkish Defense Industries Agency, declared that the Kagan will provide Ankara with capabilities possessed by only a few nations globally.

A report from Air Force Technology on February 24, 2024, described the Kagan as the first fifth-generation fighter jet, featuring stealth capabilities and exceptional offensive prowess.