A suspected gunman has taken staff hostage at a factory in Turkey (Picture: X)
A group of workers are being held hostage at a US-owned factory near Istanbul in Turkey.
Seven people are being held up by a man who appears to be wielding a gun and has explosives taped to his chest, according to local reports.
Police are at the scene at the Procter & Gamble (P&G) plant just outside the capital city and are reportedly negotiating with the assailant.
He first entered the factory in the Gebze District, Kocaeli, at around 3pm local time (noon UK time) and officers have cordoned off the surrounding area.
An image circulating on social media shows the suspect with a handgun wearing a suicide vest, claiming he’s taken hostages in protest at Israel’s war in Gaza.
A picture circulating on social media appears to show the assailant with a handgun and explosives taped to his body (Picture: X)
The picture was shared by a Turkish news agency with the man standing in front of a wall with a spray-painted message on.
A Palestinian flag has also been painted at the entrance of the building with a sign saying ‘doors will be open for Gaza’, local media say.
Emergency services, including medical staff and riot police, have been pictured outside the plant.
But Turkish authorities have not yet issued an official statement.
Turkish riot police officers have blocked the street outside the plant owned by US giant Procter & Gamble (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
Relatives of hostages have gathered at the scene (Picture: AFP via `Getty Images)
İsmet Zihni, whose wife works at the site, told the DHA news agency she had sent him a message saying she had been taken hostage.
But he said he does not know ‘if it was her or someone else’.
Terrified relatives of those taken hostage have hit out at the lack of information being provided by police and officials in Turkey.
The father of one hostage told AFP: ‘We have been waiting for six hours without any official making a statement.’
P&G said the safety and security of its employees was its ‘number one priority’.
A spokesman said: ‘We have evacuated our manufacturing facility at Gebze, Turkey, and are working with local authorities and the police.’
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