President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Aug. 4 received the families of students killed in a school attack in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş, offering condolences and sharing their grief.
The meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara was also attended by Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Education Minister Yusuf Tekin and Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, according to the Communications Directorate.
The president conveyed his condolences to the relatives of the victims and expressed his support for the families who lost their children in the attack.
The shooting took place at a middle school in Kahramanmaraş’s Onikişubat district on April 15, triggering a nationwide debate over school security measures.
Authorities said 10 people were killed in the assault, including nine children aged 10 and 11, as well as a teacher.
The 14-year-old perpetrator also died at the scene, although the exact circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.
An investigation was launched into the attack, while security measures at schools were reviewed in the aftermath of the incident.
The mother of the gunman was arrested on charges of “causing death by negligence.” Prosecutors argue that she failed to fulfill her duty of care despite clear warnings about her son’s psychological condition.
