Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that his government would introduce sweeping measures, including restrictions on gun ownership, in response to two school shootings last week. According to him, school safety will be one of the main priorities of the government. TASR informs about it on the basis of the AFP agency.
On Wednesday, April 15 A 14-year-old eighth-grader killed eight classmates and a teacher at his school in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey. The shooter also lost his life, but it is not yet known whether he was killed by the police or committed suicide. The previous day, it suffered during a shooting at a high school in the nearby town of Sanliurfa at least 16 people were injured. The attacker was a former student who then committed suicide.
“When we look at similar attacks around the world, especially those that have taken place in the United States, we see that one of the goals of the perpetrators is to terrorize society,” Erdogan said. “Such attacks are not only aimed at shedding innocent blood, but, like terrorist organizations, at inciting public outrage and creating anxiety, unrest, fear and suffering in society,” he added.
At the same time, he announced the introduction of “further legislation regarding the restriction of gun ownership”. According to him, the penalties will be increased for the owners of firearms who do not properly secure them, especially in cases where children get to them.
Authorities will also expand Internet surveillance through artificial intelligence, Erdogan confirmed. The relevant institutions will also deal with what he described as “violence and moral decay” on television screens.
He also called for greater emphasis on work that promotes family values. “The portrayal of perpetrators in crime and violence-themed work as powerful, influential, exempt from punishment or even respected weakens our youth’s connection to reality,” the president noted.
