President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 15 mourned the victims of a deadly school attack in southern Türkiye, urging the public to avoid turning the tragedy into a political issue.
“In such painful times, it is our shared responsibility not to turn this into a political polemic,” Erdoğan said in a statement shared on social media. “There is no politics of pain.”
Expressing condolences to the victims, he also cautioned against the spread of unverified information.
“It is of great importance that all our citizens act with sensitivity and do not rely on unconfirmed information apart from official statements," he wrote.
Erdoğan said authorities had launched a full investigation into the attack, adding, “Our relevant institutions are working meticulously to clarify the incident in all its aspects.”
The attack, carried out by a student at a secondary school in Kahramanmaraş, left at least nine people dead and more than a dozen injured, according to officials.
Senior government officials were dispatched to the region following the attack, as authorities sought to support victims and manage the aftermath.
Seperately, Erdoğan discussed bilateral relations and regional developments with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during a phone call on April 15, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
Türkiye attaches importance to strengthening ties with Canada and emphasized potential cooperation in energy, the defense industry and air transport, Erdoğan told Carney.
He said Türkiye continues efforts to promote regional peace and stability and shares common ground with Canada on a range of issues.
The president also invited Carney to attend NATO's upcoming Ankara summit and the COP31 gathering, expressing hope of hosting him for an official visit before the end of 2026.
Meanwhile, the Presidential High Advisory Council on April 15 emphasized the need to maintain the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington following what it described as an "unlawful attack on Iran."
In a written statement, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said the meeting, held under the chairmanship of Erdoğan, addressed regional conflicts, recent global developments and the government's ongoing anti-terror initiative.
The statement said the council reviewed steps taken and future measures aimed at advancing Türkiye across key sectors, including the defense industry, communication and information technologies, transportation, energy, urban planning and tourism, despite ongoing regional challenges.
Strengthening internal unity was also discussed in detail, with an emphasis on "national cohesion as a key factor in countering threats against the country."
