Provincial Director of National Education removed from office following armed attack

The Ministry of National Education announced that Kahramanmaraş Provincial Director of National Education Erhan Baydur has been removed from office as part of the investigations conducted following the armed attack that took place at Ayser Çalık Secondary School in the Onikişubat district on April 15. In the announcement made by the Ministry, it was stated that the investigation into the incident is being carried out in a multi-faceted manner by the chief inspectors of the Board of Inspection.

The Ministry's statement included the following: “The investigation and inquiry launched to examine all details of the incident are being carried out meticulously. It has been decided to remove the Provincial Director of National Education from office in order to ensure the administrative process proceeds transparently and soundly. Developments will be shared with the public.”

10 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE ATTACK

In the incident, a total of 10 people, including one teacher and nine students, lost their lives as a result of the armed attack carried out by 8th-grade student İsa Aras Mersinli at Ayser Çalık Secondary School. Investigations revealed that the student attacker used the licensed firearms belonging to his father, former police chief Uğur Mersinli. Following this incident, Uğur Mersinli was arrested and sent to prison.

In his statement, father Mersinli said the following:

"The weapons and ammunition used by my son İsa Aras in the incident belong to me. I have 7 carry-licensed firearms of my own. I also have two shotguns, which are also legally owned under my name in accordance with regulations. My son İsa Aras took 5 of my weapons and left. My weapons are kept in the bedroom; all the weapons and ammunition are inside a locked Maraş chest. Magazines are not kept inserted in the weapons. When I am going to take the weapons with me, I take the weapons and magazines from different chests before going out. The Maraş chests in question are self-locking chests; İsa Aras learned how to open the chests, but I do not remember opening my chests in his presence."

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES IN ALL DIMENSIONS

In his statement, Mersinli also mentioned that they had practiced shooting at a firing range with his son and that he had taught him how to aim and shoot, stating: "This Monday, I went to the police firing range and shot with my own weapon, and I also let my son fire a few rounds. I showed my son the target in front, and I told him that the weapon should not be used randomly and that one should aim before shooting. I also took a few photos and videos of my son while he was shooting. My intention was for it to remain as a memory and to satisfy his curiosity. I later sent the photos to my son İsa via WhatsApp..."

According to information obtained from security sources, it was determined that the student attacker, İsa Aras Mersinli, had sent numerous photos and videos of himself taken with weapons to his friends via social media accounts, and had also conducted a live broadcast while loading magazines. It was reported that the administrative and judicial processes regarding the incident are being closely monitored.

On the other hand, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin continues to serve in his ministerial post despite calls for his resignation from large segments of the public. During Tekin's tenure as minister, 37 people have lost their lives in schools across Turkey.

News Source: 12punto