{"id":62492,"date":"2026-04-16T16:02:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T16:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/62492\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T16:02:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T16:02:08","slug":"school-shooting-in-turkey-kills-9-including-son-of-purged-former-police-officer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/62492\/","title":{"rendered":"School shooting in Turkey kills 9, including son of purged former police officer"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A school shooting in southern Turkey on Wednesday left<\/a> nine people dead, including an 11-year-old boy whose father was dismissed from the Turkish National Police over alleged links to the G\u00fclen movement and was released from prison last year.<\/p>\n

The attack took place at Ayser \u00c7al\u0131k Middle School in Kahramanmara\u015f\u2019s Oniki\u015fubat district and left 20 others injured, according to the TR724 news website.<\/p>\n

The victims included a math teacher and eight students, among them Yusuf Tar\u0131k G\u00fcl, the son of Burak G\u00fcl<\/a>, a former police officer dismissed by an emergency decree over alleged links to the faith-based G\u00fclen movement after a 2016 coup attempt. He was sentenced to more than six years in prison and was released last year, meaning Yusuf Tar\u0131k had only recently been reunited with his father after years of separation.<\/p>\n

Burak G\u00fcl was among scores of police officers and other public officials dismissed in the sweeping purge that followed Turkey\u2019s 2016 failed coup, which the government accused the G\u00fclen movement of orchestrating. The movement denies involvement in the coup or any terrorist activity.<\/p>\n

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan has targeted followers of the faith-based G\u00fclen movement since corruption investigations in 2013 implicated members of his family and inner circle. He dismissed the probes as a G\u00fclenist conspiracy and designated the movement a terrorist organization in May 2016.<\/p>\n

The shooting suspect was identified as a 14-year-old eighth-grade student, \u0130sa Aras Mersinli, the son of a senior police official.<\/p>\n

Burak G\u00fcl later confronted Kahramanmara\u015f Governor M\u00fckerrem \u00dcnl\u00fcer at a hospital, voicing anger over his past imprisonment and his son\u2019s death. \u201cI was imprisoned for 1,758 days as a \u2018terrorist,\u2019 and now my son has been killed by the son of those you call \u2018patriots,\u2019\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n

Bystanders prevented him from continuing, according to footage shared on social media.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd34 SON DAK\u0130KA | Kahramanmara\u015f’ta okul sald\u0131r\u0131s\u0131nda \u00f6ld\u00fcr\u00fclen Yusuf Tar\u0131k G\u00fcl’\u00fcn KHK’l\u0131 eski polis babas\u0131, valiye tepki g\u00f6sterdi:<\/p>\n

“Benim o\u011flumun polis babas\u0131n\u0131 1758 g\u00fcn ‘ter\u00f6rist’ diye i\u00e7eri att\u0131n\u0131z. \u015eimdi de ‘vatan sevdal\u0131lar\u0131’n\u0131n o\u011flu benim o\u011flumu \u00f6ld\u00fcrd\u00fc!”<\/p>\n

1758 g\u00fcn hukuksuzca\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/2gxKrcn3sD<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Salih Gergerlio\u011flu (@msalihgr) April 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The killing has drawn renewed scrutiny of school safety and the state\u2019s duty to protect children\u2019s right to life and provide a secure learning environment. Teachers unions and several civil society organizations took to the streets<\/a> in \u0130stanbul and Ankara, calling for stronger measures against school violence and the resignation of Education Minister Yusuf Tekin.<\/p>\n