ISTANBUL: Police have rescued seven hostages held at gunpoint for hours at a factory owned by US company Procter & Gamble in northwest Turkey, local officials said early Friday.A gunman had sparked the standoff at the P&G facility in Gebze, Kocaeli province, in protest of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Governor Seddar Yavuz was quoted as saying by state-run Anadolu news agency.Police initiated the rescue after 10 hours of negotiation failed. “Our esteemed police members and our heroic security forces made the necessary intervention as soon as we were sure that no harm would come to the hostages,” Yavuz said.Previous reports said two suspects had taken P&G staff prisoner, but Yavuz said it was a former employee acting alone.The man had demanded a cease-fire in Gaza and the opening of aid routes into the Palestinian enclave, he added.“The hostages were rescued safely and the person who committed the action was detained and a large-scale investigation was launched into the incident,” Yavuz’s office said in a statement.A spokesman for Cincinnati-based P&G said the situation at its Gebze plant had been resolved and all personnel were safe.“The fact that no one was harmed is our greatest relief. We are grateful to the authorities and first responders who managed the situation with courage and professionalism,” the spokesperson said.The suspect was also unharmed.Yavuz said the man had two guns and an unspecified “device.” Turkish media had published an image of the suspect inside the factory wearing what appeared to be a rudimentary explosives belt and holding a handgun.Private news agency DHA said a man entered the main building of the facility around 3 p.m. local time and took seven staff members hostage.Police sealed off surrounding roads at the factory and tried to negotiate with the hostage-taker.
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