ISTANBUL: Police freed seven hostages at a factory east of Istanbul on Friday and detained the man who held them, Sputnik quoted the IHA news agency report.

Haberturk broadcaster reported Thursday that an armed man had taken employees of the Procter & Gamble factory in Istanbul hostage, and that special forces were present at the scene.

At 1200 GMT the man broke into the Procter & Gamble factory in the outskirts of Gebze east of Istanbul and took the employees hostage, the broadcaster said, adding that there were reports the attacker had done this in protest against the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Later Thursday, Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet reported that seven members of the staff, including a woman, had been taken hostage and were in good health. – Bernama, Sputnik