Nine people, including eight children, were killed in a shooting at a middle school in Türkiye’s southeastern Kahramanmaraş province on Wednesday. Thirteen others were injured, sparking public outrage and raising concerns about a rare phenomenon in the country.
The incident in Kahramanmaraş came only two days after a separate shooting in nearby Şanlıurfa province, where a 19-year-old former student opened fire on a high school.
Sixteen people were injured in that attack, including both students and teachers, before the gunman took his own life.
Authorities have since launched investigations into both incidents and stepped up security around schools in the region.
Reactions to the twin shootings have been swift, with parents expressing fear and anger, while educators have called for stronger safeguards.
Local newspaper headlines have described the events as a “national tragedy” and an “unprecedented shock” to Türkiye’s education system.
Officials have been quick to note that such shootings are extremely rare in Türkiye, where strict gun laws and social dynamics have historically limited school violence.
Unlike in some other countries, most notably the U.S., school shootings are not a common phenomenon in Türkiye, making the two recent attacks particularly concerning.
On Thursday, the local press reported that the 14-year-old who carried out the shooting in Kahramanmaraş had used an image referencing American mass shooter Elliot Rodger as a social media profile photo.
The young perpetrator’s father, a police officer, was reportedly arrested after telling investigators that he had taken his son to a police firing range two days before the attack.
In any event, this week’s twin shootings are expected to prompt renewed debate over the state of mental health among the nation’s youth, school security, and access to firearms.
Officials, for their part, say support is being provided to victims and their families.
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Dozens of people were killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Tuesday, Lebanese officials said, straining a fragile ceasefire agreed between the countries in April. The attacks came as Iran accused the U.S. of violating a separate ceasefire with strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.
Canada and the Bahamas announced on Tuesday that they will temporarily restrict entry for residents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan following an Ebola outbreak in the region.
Latvia is strengthening its anti-drone capabilities along its borders with Russia and Moscow-allied Belarus after several drones entered the NATO member’s airspace, according to a senior military official.
Britain and Poland are set to sign a new defence and security treaty on Wednesday (27 May), deepening cooperation between the two NATO allies as European governments respond to what they describe as a growing range of hostile threats across the continent.
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman saying that a deal isn't imminent.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 26 May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The World Health Organization warned on Monday that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts, with 220 suspected deaths reported so far.
Iran has called Monday's U.S. strikes on it 'a gross violation' of their ceasefire. The U.S. military said it carried out defensive strikes in southern Iran after boats were seen laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the U.S. says a peace deal may require several more days.
Shortly after nine o’clock on Tuesday morning (26 May), a sleek white train eased into Tbilisi’s central railway station, a couple of minutes behind schedule, carrying passengers from Baku for the first time since 2020.
Tajikistan is hosting the Fourth International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” in Dushanbe from 25 to 28 May, bringing together more than 2,500 participants from governments, international organisations and financial institutions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Kazakhstan late on Wednesday for an unprecedented second state visit to the country in two years. He will gift Astana four Siberian tigers during the trip, as Moscow attempts to bolster its relationship with its closest partner in Central Asia.
The visit by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Armenia marks one of the clearest signs yet of Washington’s growing interest in the South Caucasus.
Tehran has sent a senior delegation to Qatar for indirect talks on a possible peace deal with Washington amid rising tensions following a U.S. air strike on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Japan and the United Nations Development Programme are launching a $3 million environmental project in Kazakhstan to support the Caspian Sea and improve water monitoring, amid growing concern over falling sea levels and risks to regional trade routes.
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