Panel heads to southern city after school attack

KAHRAMANMARAŞ

A Turkish parliamentary commission established to investigate recent school-related violent incidents in the provinces of Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş, as well as broader digital risks affecting children, is set to conduct an on-site review in Kahramanmaraş.

The commission said members will visit the graves of the students and teacher who lost their lives, offer condolences to their families and meet with injured children receiving treatment.

The delegation will also hold meetings with local officials, including representatives from the education, police, gendarmerie, health and family services directorates.

The commission was formed following school shootings in the southeastern city of Şanlıurfa and the southern province of Kahramanmaraş that reignited debate in Türkiye over youth violence, school security, digital exposure and access to firearms. Nine students and a teacher died in the attack in Kahramanmaraş.

During the opening of the commission meeting, academics warned lawmakers that school violence could not be treated solely as a law enforcement issue and stressed the need for broader social policies alongside digital safety measures.

The parliamentary discussions also drew attention for strong criticism of civilian gun ownership from lawmakers across party lines.

Several MPs argued that Türkiye’s laws allowing broad firearm access for certain officials and lawmakers should be tightened.

AKP lawmaker Latif Selvi said even minor disputes could escalate into deadly incidents when firearms were easily accessible, calling for limits on individual gun
ownership.

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker, Ali Öztunç, criticized the extensive firearm privileges granted to members of parliament and senior officials, questioning why lawmakers should be allowed to purchase dozens of
guns.

“We are not going to war,” Öztunç said, arguing that limiting firearm access itself would be an important legislative achievement.