Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has dismissed the deputy education minister following two separate school shootings that claimed nine lives, according to an official decree published in the country’s gazette.
The decision comes after public outrage over the incidents, which have intensified debate on gun control and school safety in the country.
In the first attack, eight pupils aged between 10 and 11, alongside a teacher, were killed when a 14-year-old student opened fire at a school in Kahramanmaras in southern Turkey.
Authorities said the attacker used multiple firearms allegedly taken from his home, where his father, a former police officer, has since been arrested.
A second shooting occurred in Sanliurfa province in southeastern Turkey, where a former student attacked his old high school before later taking his own life when confronted by police.
Following the incidents, the government announced sweeping administrative changes within the education sector.
The deputy education minister, Nazif Yilmaz, was removed from office and replaced by Cihad Demirli as part of a wider restructuring of education authorities.
The presidential decree also affected other senior officials in institutions linked to the education system, signaling what analysts describe as a strong political response to public pressure.
Reacting to the tragedies, Erdogan vowed that the government would take stricter measures to prevent similar attacks in the future, including possible restrictions on firearm ownership.
“The state will not remain indifferent to such painful incidents,” Erdogan was quoted as saying in response to growing criticism, adding that authorities are working on new safety measures for schools nationwide.
The shootings have triggered national debate in Turkey over access to firearms, mental health support in schools, and the adequacy of existing security protocols.
Officials say investigations into both incidents are ongoing as the country mourns the victims and considers broader reforms to prevent further violence in educational institutions.
