Erdoğan expresses condolences after deadly school shooting in southern province

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday extended his condolences and well wishes to those affected by the school shooting in Türkiye's Kahramanmaraş province, an attack he said "has deeply saddened Türkiye, especially our beloved children."

On his NSosyal account, Erdoğan wrote: "Unfortunately, in this tragic attack, we lost our bright children and a devoted educator. I pray to Almighty God to grant mercy to those we have lost."

According to Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, a deadly shooting at a middle school in Kahramanmaraş left nine people dead, and 13 others injured, six of them in critical condition.

The president also said that public prosecutors, along with civil administration and education inspectors, are carefully conducting the investigation launched immediately after the incident, adding that the case will be fully clarified in all its aspects.

Mükerrem Ünlüer, Kahramanmaraş's governor, said the attack was carried out by an eighth-grade student at Ayser Çalık Secondary School for reasons not yet known.

The student brought firearms in a backpack and opened fire indiscriminately after entering into two classrooms, Ünlüer said, adding that the injured are undergoing surgery and are believed to be in critical condition.

The suspected attacker also died, he said, noting that it remains unclear whether he shot himself intentionally or was killed during the chaos.

The governor said that the weapons may have belonged to the suspect's father, a former police officer. The student reportedly arrived at the school with five firearms and seven magazines.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry also said on US social media platform X that they were deeply saddened by the school attacks in "brotherly country Türkiye," expressing solidarity with Türkiye and extending condolences to the victims' families.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic also released a statement on his social media account, saying he was gravely saddened by the school tragedy, and extended sympathy to President Erdoğan and the victims' families, while wishing a swift recovery to those injured.