Turkey has tightened security at schools nationwide following deadly shootings in the southeastern provinces of Kahramanmaraş and Şanlıurfa last week, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
Under the new measures, police have been deployed outside schools across all 81 provinces, with at least two officers assigned to each campus and additional teams on standby during school hours. Stricter entry controls have also been introduced, including identity checks and appointment requirements for parents, while some schools banned mobile phones, smartwatches and tablets.
The measures aim to reduce uncontrolled movement in and around school buildings and prevent further incidents, officials said.
School administrations have also imposed additional internal rules. In some schools, students are required to wear uniforms to enter, while parents are no longer allowed to wait in schoolyards. Early student pickups must be coordinated with school management, and items brought from outside are to be left at security checkpoints rather than taken directly into classrooms.
The new restrictions follow back-to-back attacks in mid-April that shocked the country. On April 15, a shooting at Ayser Çalık Middle School in Kahramanmaraş killed eight students and one teacher and injured 13 others. A day earlier, a separate shooting in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa left 16 people wounded.
In both incidents, the attackers were former or current students at the schools and also died.
The Kahramanmaraş attack, carried out by a 14-year-old student, marked Turkey’s first fatal school shooting and raised concerns over access to firearms and the influence of online violent subcultures among teenagers.
The incidents triggered nationwide protests by teachers last week, with thousands calling for stronger safety measures and the resignation of Education Minister Yusuf Tekin. Demonstrators said schools had become increasingly unsafe despite previous warnings and incidents of violence.
The Turkish government has also launched a broad crackdown on online threats linked to the attacks. On April 17, police detained at least 17 people across multiple provinces over posts threatening school attacks or praising violence. Officials said hundreds of social media accounts had been identified and more than 1,800 internet addresses were blocked as part of the operation.
In a separate investigation announced on Monday, prosecutors in İstanbul issued detention warrants for 25 suspects, 13 of them minors, over social media posts accused of spreading fear and inciting hostility.