US soldiers inspect the site of reported Turkish shelling days earlier on an oil extraction facility on the outskirts of Rumaylan, in Syria's PKK/YPG-controlled northeastern Hasakeh province on October 28, 2024. (AFP Photo)
By Newsroom
Oct 30, 2024 11:07 AM
Terrorist group PKK/YPG-controlled sites in northern Iraq and Syria have drawn U.S. attention following Türkiye’s operations in response to the terrorist attack on Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in Ankara.
U.S. soldiers stationed in the northern Syrian terrorist region conducted inspections at a PKK/YPG-controlled oil facility after the Turkish Armed Forces carried out their operations.
A delegation of U.S. troops examined the damage caused to the facilities following the airstrikes conducted by Turkish warplanes.
PKK terrorist organization
PKK terror group, which has offshoots in Iraq and Syria, has been waging a terror campaign against Türkiye for more than 40 years. Listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union, the group has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including women and children.
Turkish police officers gather as an armed personnel vehicle drives along a road in Kahramankazan, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Ankara on October 23, 2024, near the gate of the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). (AFP Photo)
Background of attack on TAI
TAI is a crucial player in Türkiye’s defense industry. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that the attack aimed to undermine Türkiye’s objective of achieving independence in its defense sector.
He emphasized TAI is one of the “locomotive organizations” of the Turkish defense industry and asserted that such assaults directly target Türkiye’s vision of a “Fully Independent Türkiye.”
The T625 Gokbey multi-purpose helicopter. (TAI Photo)Türkiye’s KAAN fighter jet. (TAI Photo)A Turkish drone flies over the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) building, after a huge explosion at the TAI headquarters, in Kahramankazan, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Ankara on October 23, 2024. – Four people were killed and 14 others wounded in an attack on the headquarters of a top Turkish defence firm TAI, near Ankara, Turkish officials said October 23. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP)TAI Hurjet flying after terrorist attack on Ankara, Türkiye. (AA Photo)
What is TAI?
Founded in 1973, TAI specializes in the design, production and modernization of aircraft. The company significantly contributes to enhancing Türkiye’s defense capabilities by developing various aerial platforms.
One of its most notable projects is the National Combat Aircraft, known as KAAN, which aims to be Türkiye’s first fifth-generation fighter jet.