President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Dismisses Deputy Education Minister After Two School Shootings Kill Nine in Türkiye

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has dismissed Türkiye’s deputy education minister following two deadly school shootings that killed nine people, according to the official gazette published on Friday.

The dismissals come after a series of violent incidents in educational institutions across the country, including a shooting at Ayser Çalık Secondary School in the Onikişubat district of Kahramanmaraş Province on April 15, 2026, which resulted in 11 deaths including the perpetrator and injured 19 others.

A second shooting occurred the previous day in the Siverek district of Şanlıurfa Province, contributing to the national outcry over school safety and prompting widespread protests by educators demanding stronger security measures.

In response to the violence, teachers’ unions across Türkiye announced a nationwide one-day work stoppage on April 15 to protest the lack of adequate protection for students and staff in schools.

Turkish authorities have emphasized that the country maintains strict gun control laws requiring licensing, registration, mental health evaluations, and criminal background checks for firearm ownership, though officials acknowledge challenges in enforcement amid reports of increasing private gun ownership.

The incident in Kahramanmaraş marks the deadliest school shooting in Türkiye’s recorded history, surpassing previous incidents such as the 2018 Eskişehir University shooting.

As of the latest reports, investigations into the motives behind both attacks remain ongoing, with officials stating that all aspects of the incidents are under review.