ISTANBUL, Turkey: Seven workers who were held captive at a Proctor & Gamble (P&G) factory outside Istanbul have been rescued after a nine-hour ordeal, local officials said.
Turkish police rescued the hostages from a factory in Gebza after the suspect allegedly went to the toilet. The local governor, Seddar Yavuz, said the hostages were not injured.
The suspect was apprehended unharmed after a “careful” rescue operation, Yavuz added.
The hostage-taker first entered the plant at about 3:00 p.m. local time (12:00 GMT), the DHA news agency said. The hostages were released shortly before midnight local time (21:00 GMT).
Officials said the suspect wanted to draw attention to the ongoing situation in Gaza.
An image of a man with wires and possibly explosives taped to his chest earlier surfaced on social media. He appeared to be holding a handgun.
A Palestinian flag was reportedly painted at the entrance to the building with the words “doors will be open for Gaza”.
Police closed off access to the factory and medical personnel were dispatched to the scene.
Authorities say an extensive investigation into the incident is underway.
Footage from the scene during the standoff showed relatives of some of the hostages gathered at a police cordon some distance from the plant.
İsmet Zihni, whose wife works at the factory, told the DHA news agency that she sent him a message that she had been taken hostage.
However, he added that he did not know “if it was her or someone else”.
Relatives of the hostages expressed frustration at the lack of information from Turkish officials or the police.
In a statement, P&G said it was relieved no one was injured during the incident.
“We are grateful to the authorities and first responders who managed the situation with courage and professionalism,” the company added.
