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Seven workers seized at a Proctor & Gamble (P&G) plant outside the Turkish city of Istanbul were rescued after a nine-hour ordeal, officials say.<\/p>\n
Police in Gebza moved in after the suspect, who was apparently protesting at the war in Gaza, went to the toilet.<\/p>\n
Local governor Seddar Yavuz said the hostages had suffered no injuries.<\/p>\n
Images online showed the suspect, his face hidden by a Palestinian scarf, wearing what appeared to be an explosives vest and carrying a gun.<\/p>\n
He was detained unharmed after the “meticulous” rescue operation, Mr Yavuz added.<\/p>\n
The hostage-taker entered the plant at about 15:00 local time (12:00 GMT), DHA news agency reports. The hostages were released shortly before midnight.<\/p>\n
Officials say the suspect wanted to draw attention to the ongoing situation in Gaza.<\/p>\n
A Palestinian flag was reportedly painted at the entrance of the building with a sign saying “doors will be open for Gaza”.<\/p>\n
Police officers cordoned off access to the factory and medical staff were dispatched to the scene.<\/p>\n
Officials say a large-scale investigation into the incident is under way.<\/p>\n
Footage from the scene during the standoff showed relatives of some hostages clustered together at a police cordon some distance from the plant.<\/p>\n
\u0130smet Zihni, whose wife works at the plant, told DHA she had sent him a message saying she had been taken hostage.<\/p>\n
However, he added he did not know “if it was her or someone else”.<\/p>\n
Relatives of the hostages had expressed frustration at the lack of information from Turkish officials or the police.<\/p>\n
“We have been waiting for six hours without any official making a statement,” the father of one hostage told AFP earlier.<\/p>\n
In a statement, P&G said it was relieved no-one was harmed during the incident.<\/p>\n
“We are grateful to the authorities and first responders who managed the situation with courage and professionalism,” the company added.<\/p>\n
It also said the suspect was not an employee.<\/p>\n
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