The assault occurred as Erdoğan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. Upon his arrival in Istanbul, the president met with several ministers and state dignitaries at Atatürk Airport’s state guesthouse. 

Among the attendants of the meeting were Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, chief of General Staff Metin Gürak and National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief İbrahim Kalın, as well as several other state officials. 

The meeting primarily focused on Wednesday’s terror attack on the premises of the Turkish aerospace and defense company TUSAŞ in the Kahramankazan district of Ankara and the steps needed to be taken in the ongoing fight against terrorism.  

Officials underlined that Türkiye will not permit the establishment of a «terror state» within its borders, reaffirming the country’s commitment to fighting terrorism. 

One of the terrorists was identified as a PKK member, Yerlikaya announced a day after he said that the terrorist organization is “highly likely” behind the deadly assault.