Schools across Türkiye have introduced sweeping new security measures, including metal detectors, turnstile entry systems and tighter access controls, following two school shootings last week.
In the wake of the attacks, authorities have deployed police units around school premises nationwide, conducting identity checks on suspicious individuals and preventing unauthorized people from gathering near school grounds.
The measures follow two school shootings that shook the country. On April 15, a gun attack in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş killed eight students and one teacher. Earlier in the week, a student opened fire at his former high school in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, injuring 16 people before taking his own life.
New rules have significantly restricted access to school campuses, where parents and visitors are no longer permitted to enter without prior appointments, daily Milliyet reported on April 19.
Under the new protocols, all entrances are strictly monitored and controlled by school administrations to ensure student safety.
Amid the tightened measures, the Education Ministry has instructed all schools to hold a ceremony on April 20 to commemorate the victims of the recent attacks. The ceremony will include a moment of silence, the recitation of the national anthem and prayers led by a teacher.
Within schools, controls have also intensified.
Administrations are carrying out frequent inspections of students’ bags and lockers, while those found carrying prohibited or dangerous items face disciplinary action. Some schools have made uniforms mandatory, denying entry to students who fail to comply.
Demand for security technologies has surged, with schools installing turnstiles, X-ray scanners and handheld metal detectors.
At a middle school in Istanbul’s Ümraniye district, for example, students will be required to use ID cards to pass through turnstiles and undergo metal detector screening before entering school grounds.
These systems are often linked to mobile applications that allow parents to track their children’s entry and exit times in real time, receive instant notifications and monitor attendance patterns.
Additional measures by schools include hiring private security personnel, moving parent-teacher meetings online and increasing on-site supervision and monitoring.
Alongside security upgrades, schools are also organizing guidance activities, including seminars on peer relations, anger management and empathy, as well as individual counseling sessions.
Authorities have also expanded psychological support efforts.
In Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş, hundreds of guidance counselors and psychologists have been deployed to assist students, with around 700 guidance teachers involved in ongoing support programs in Kahramanmaraş alone.
