Report on school attacks in Kahramanmaraş and Şanlıurfa revealed: Perpetrator broadcasted before the massacre, international connections identified

Remarkable new findings have emerged in the investigation into İsa Aras Mersinli, who caused the deaths of one teacher and nine students in a school attack carried out with weapons belonging to his father, a detained police chief inspector, in Kahramanmaraş.

According to information shared by journalist İsmail Saymaz, digital data has been reached indicating that İsa Aras Mersinli initiated a group video chat on Telegram before the attack and may have live-streamed the act. Connections to Belgium and the UK were also identified during the investigation.

Turkey was shaken by two school attacks that occurred in the Siverek district of Şanlıurfa and in Kahramanmaraş on April 14 and 15. The TBMM Commission for Researching School Incidents and Digital Risks in Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş, established following the events, conducted inspections in Kahramanmaraş on June 12 and in Şanlıurfa on June 15.

As reported by Saymaz, a detailed report and presentation regarding the attack were provided to commission members by Kahramanmaraş Police Chief Hasan Yiğit.

INITIATED A VIDEO CHAT ON TELEGRAM BEFORE THE ATTACK

According to the report submitted to the commission, before leaving home to carry out the attack, İsa Aras Mersinli started a video chat and live stream in a group named "Konata Izumi" on the Telegram application on his phone.

"Konata Izumi" is known as the name of the main character from the Japanese anime series Lucky Star. The report also included information that Mersinli made posts on the Discord platform under the username "Konata Herself".

According to police records, the attacker held his phone in his hand as he left his home and walked to the school. It was stated that images of this process were captured by CCTV (MOBESE) cameras.

RECORDED PREPARING HIS WEAPONS IN THE SCHOOL RESTROOM

According to information in the report, after entering the school building, İsa Aras Mersinli first went to the men's restroom and then to the women's restroom. He took out the five weapons he was carrying in his Fenerbahçe-emblemed bag there.

It was reported that the attacker then left the phone, on which the video chat was active, on a radiator in the hallway and waited for the students to come out for recess.

It was stated that fire was opened on two female students who went down to the lower-floor restroom because the one on the upper floor was out of order, and that the first murders were committed at this time.

The report submitted to the commission included the assessment that "based on the way he held his phone and wore headphones during the time from leaving his home until the moment the incident occurred, he may have been conducting a chat, video chat, or live stream."

It was also noted that during the digital examination of the phone, digital traces were found indicating that a group video chat was initiated via the Telegram account named "Konata Izumi" before the attack.

CONNECTION ESTABLISHED VIA BELGIUM IDENTIFIED

Within the scope of the investigation, correspondence was conducted with Telegram to identify the accounts participating in the video chat.

Examinations determined that a connection was established from a Belgium-based IP address. As a result of work carried out with Belgian authorities, it was assessed that the IP address in question could be related to a phone line belonging to Petro Prıftı, an individual of Albanian origin born in 1977.

It was reported that Prıftı was apprehended, but it was determined that his son, Xhonathan, born in 2011, who was said to be using the line, had not been to school for about two weeks, and efforts to apprehend him are ongoing.

MESSAGE FROM THE UK REFLECTED IN THE REPORT

According to the report, İsa Aras Mersinli's second connection abroad was a communication established with a child living in the UK.

In phone examinations, it was determined that a British child sent a message to Mersinli two or three days before the attack. It is alleged that the child in question sent a floor plan of his school and said, "I want to do it here too. Give me some advice."

It was stated that after being informed by Turkish authorities, the child was apprehended in his own country before carrying out any attack.

According to information conveyed to the commission, it is assessed that İsa Aras Mersinli met and communicated with children in Belgium and the UK through war games.

60-PAGE MANIFESTO WRITTEN IN ENGLISH FOUND AT HOME

According to information shared by İsmail Saymaz, İsa Aras Mersinli met with his guidance counselor 32 times starting from the second grade. He was also taken by his father to a psychologist within the police department five times and to a psychiatrist once. However, it was stated that these sessions did not continue.

The report also included information that Mersinli described himself as "irreligious and genderless" to the psychologist.

It was noted that a 60-page manifesto written in English was seized during the search conducted at his home after the attack, and that examinations of the document by police units are ongoing.

ALLEGATIONS OF NEGLIGENCE IN THE SİVEREK ATTACK BROUGHT TO THE AGENDA

During the commission's inspections in the Siverek district of Şanlıurfa, striking allegations regarding Ömer K., who carried out the school attack there, were brought to the agenda.

According to Saymaz, Ömer K. clearly wrote on the school's Instagram account before the attack that he would commit a massacre. Upon this, the school principal, Mehmet Sadık Kıran, applied to the police.

However, it is alleged that the police responded, "There will be a shift change, come back in an hour."

It was stated that the principal later reached the attacker's father, and the father said that his son did not write the message in question. It was also reported that after deleting the post, Ömer K. called the school principal and claimed that his account had been hacked.

It was noted that the school principal and his assistant searched for the attacker at the restaurant where he worked but could not find him, and later went to the police station to give statements.

It is alleged that the prosecutor's office requested that Ömer K.'s statement be taken, but the procedures were postponed until the next day.

ALLEGATION THAT POLICE DID NOT GO TO THE HOUSE CREATED DEBATE

According to commission members, statements by police officials that they went to the attacker's house during the night to reach him also became a subject of debate.

According to Saymaz, some commission members argued that there was negligence in the failure to apprehend the attacker, who was determined to have left the house at 06:35 in the morning.

One commission member assessed, "How can a family of seven siblings not open the door? This means the police did not go to the house. If they had gone, this would not have happened."

PLANNED TO CARRY OUT THE ATTACK ON HITLER'S BIRTHDAY

It was stated that in the notes found after the attacker's death, he wrote that he originally planned to carry out the act on April 20.

It was stated that Ömer K. later moved his plan to April 14, and the reason for this was that his preparations were revealed after his social media post.

According to information conveyed to the commission, the reason for choosing the date of April 20 was Adolf Hitler's birthday. The report also included information that the attacker admired Hitler and wore a swastika necklace.

ASSESSED THAT SIMILARITIES WERE FOUND BETWEEN THE TWO ATTACKERS

In the commission's work, it was assessed that there were some common characteristics between İsa Aras Mersinli and Ömer K., who were stated not to know each other.

These characteristics included an introverted personality structure, use of Telegram, interest in war games, and admiration for Hitler. It was stated that the commission continues its work to investigate the connections between school attacks and digital risks.