Turkey was shaken by two separate explosions in Ankara last Thursday. The first explosion took place in a construction machinery manufacturing plant in the Middle East Trade and Industry Center’s (OSTİM) Organized Industrial Zone. The explosion killed seven people and injured 34 others. A second explosion took place at the İvedik Organized Industrial Zone, which is close to OSTİM. Thirteen workers were killed and 13 others were injured. Following the explosion at the paint-production plant, flames spread to the immediate neighborhood due to the paint thinner and dye bins nearby. Shortly after the deadly blasts claims emerged that the Asya Pasifik Kimya Tesisi (Asia Pacific Chemical Plant), where the second blast took place, had been illegally manufacturing paint thinner.
The owner of the factory, Yusuf Özçelik, confirmed that his factory had manufactured paint thinner in the past but he denied that it was illegal. Özçelik said everything at his factory was produced through legal means and that the factory had a license from the Energy Market Regulatory Agency (EPDK).
In the meantime, a statement released by the Ankara Governor’s Office yesterday said that search and rescue efforts at both explosion sites have been concluded after it was determined that no one has been left in the wreckage.
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