Turkish police have detained 83 people for “glorifying crime and criminals” following two school shootings this week, including an attack in Kahramanmaraş in which a 14-year-old student killed at least nine people before taking his own life.
Turkish police have detained 83 people for “glorifying crime and criminals” following two school shootings this week, including an attack in Kahramanmaraş in which a 14-year-old student killed at least nine people before taking his own life.
Authorities have also blocked access to 940 social media accounts and 93 Telegram groups for the same reason, police said.
The shootings took place on Tuesday (14 April) and Wednesday (15 April), in incidents that have shocked a country where such attacks are rare.
In Wednesday’s attack, a 14-year-old student shot dead at least nine people, including eight fellow pupils, at a middle school in Kahramanmaraş province before taking his own life. He also wounded 20 others.
Police said the teenager had used an image referencing U.S. mass killer Elliot Rodger on his WhatsApp profile.
Rodger killed six people in California in 2014 before fatally shooting himself.
The Kahramanmaraş prosecutor’s office said investigators found a document dated April 11 on the attacker’s computer indicating that a major attack would be carried out “in the near future”.
“Initial findings indicate no connection to terrorism, the incident is believed to be an individual attack,” the statement said.
In a separate statement on Thursday (16 April), the prosecutor’s office said the attacker had used five pistols belonging to his police officer father. The father has been jailed pending trial.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid tribute to the victims in a post on social media platform X, expressing condolences to the families and wishing the injured a “speedy recovery”.
He said the attack had “deeply saddened all of Türkiye” and described the victims as “our bright young children and a devoted educator”.
Erdoğan said investigations were under way and would “undoubtedly be fully clarified in all its aspects”, adding that ministers had travelled to Kahramanmaraş to oversee the response and support those affected.
He also urged the public and media to act responsibly, warning against “false or misleading news”, and said it was a “moral duty” not to turn the tragedy into political debate, adding: “Pain has no politics.”
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Mazen Torki Saud Al-Qadi, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Jordan, on 21 J...
Fuel stations in Russian-controlled Crimea stopped selling fuel to individuals and businesses from 9:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, the Russian-install...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the violent attacks in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Friday, which left five men injured, were motivated by "an...
Britain's Observer newspaper reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to resign on Monday and outline a timetable for his departure. ...
The United States has launched an investigation into Germany's pharmaceutical pricing policies to determine whether they unfairly disadvantage America...
Türkiye's World Cup campaign came to a painful end on Friday as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay despite dominating large parts of their Group D clash.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze arrived in Dushanbe on 19 June 2026 for the first official visit by a Georgian head of government to Tajikistan, concluding a trip that produced a joint communiqué, multiple bilateral agreements and a new commission to deepen economic cooperation.
Veteran business leader, diplomat and board adviser, Mehmet Öğütçü, reflects on more than four decades of hiring and leadership experience, offering practical advice to graduates and young professionals navigating an increasingly competitive labour market.
Three flags, one training ground and a clear message: defence cooperation in the South Caucasus remains firmly on track. Elite special operations units from Georgia, Türkiye and Azerbaijan have gathered in Mukhrovani for the latest edition of the Caucasian Eagle military exercise.
A train driver has been killed and nine people remain in a critical condition in hospital, after two trains collided near Beford in the east of England on Friday. The passenger trains heading to London collided at around 17:15 local time (1615 GMT).
Morocco captain and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi will face trial in France after an appeals court ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck southwest of Greece’s island of Crete on Saturday, with no immediate reports of damage.
Paraguay kept their World Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Türkiye, but the celebrations were tempered by a costly red card for veteran forward Miguel Almirón.
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, a senior U.S. official has said. Hezbollah has released a statement saying Israel must leave southern Lebanon. Israel has said it agrees to the ceasefire, but has said its armed forces won't leave Lebanon and will resume hostilities if attacked.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Mazen Torki Saud Al-Qadi, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Jordan, on 21 June.
Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least nine people in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, including a child and an Al Jazeera journalist, Palestinian health officials said.
A new film by Swedish filmmaker Mikael Silkeberg traces a cultural journey from Scandinavia to Azerbaijan. The documentary ‘The Homeland in Memory’, available to watch now on AnewZ, looks at how cultural memory in Western Azerbaijan has resisted displacement through its preservation in tradition.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for killing two Syrian soldiers in the northern provine of Aleppo, in a statement on the group's Telegram channel.
At least seven people were killed and several others injured after two roadside bombs exploded in quick succession in northwest Pakistan on Saturday (20 June), according to local police.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment