New development in the Ayser Çalık Secondary School attack: Objection from the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for 11 public officials

There has been a new development in the investigation of the responsibility of public officials regarding the armed attack at Ayser Çalık Secondary School in Kahramanmaraş.

Kahramanmaraş Governor Mükerrem Ünlüer decided not to grant permission for an investigation against 11 public officials, including former provincial and district national education directors. The Governorship gave permission to investigate 4 people for 'abuse of power'.

OBJECTION FROM THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE FOR 11 PUBLIC OFFICIALS

Kahramanmaraş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office objected to the Governorship's decision regarding 11 public officials before the Gaziantep Regional Administrative Court.

The following evaluation was included in the application of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office:

"In the evaluation made by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it is understood that the public officials in question were negligent and at fault in the incident that is the subject of the investigation, that the public officials in question did not take the necessary precautions and did not make the necessary notifications before the incident, and therefore, investigation procedures should be carried out against the public officials whose names are mentioned."

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requested that the decision not to grant an investigation permission be lifted and that the way for an investigation against 11 public officials be paved.

"THE EXACT CONCEPTION OF THERE IS AUTHORITY BUT NO RESPONSIBILITY"

Furkan Mehmet Cinkara, the lawyer of the families of the students who lost their lives and were injured in the attack, reacted to the Governorship's decision.

Mentioning the name of Almina Ağaoğlu, who lost her life in the attack, Cinkara stated that the school has not had a fire escape for approximately 22 years and criticized the lack of permission to investigate the responsibilities of provincial and district national education directors.

Cinkara said, "Not even allowing the responsibilities of the provincial and district national education directors, who are unaware that there has been no fire escape for nearly 22 years since the school was built, is the very concept of 'there is authority but no responsibility'."

"NO POLICE INTERVENED EVEN AFTER THE ATTACK STARTED"

Cinkara also criticized the security measures taken before and during the attack, and argued that his questions about whether additional security measures were taken in Kahramanmaraş after the incident in Şanlıurfa remained unanswered.

Stating that entering the school with weapons could not be prevented, Cinkara claimed that there was inadequacy in the intervention of the security forces even after the attack started.

Cinkara stated that the attacker was neutralized by a civilian and that the students were left to their fate.

"NOT EVEN A SINGLE OFFICIAL RESIGNED"

Cinkara said that no senior official claimed responsibility after the attack and said:

"While one of Türkiye's biggest tragedies took place in a public school, not a single official, including the deputy governors responsible for the provincial police and provincial national education, resigned, and not a single person took responsibility."

Stating that the governorship limited the investigation permission to only 4 people, Cinkara argued that the decision made about the other 11 public officials prevented the investigation of the responsibilities of senior executives.

"REJECTION DECISION REINFORCES THE PERCEPTION OF IMPUNITY"

Claiming that the guidance records and the statements in the GNAT Investigation Commission minutes point to negligence, Cinkara claimed that the decision not to grant an investigation permission was based on incomplete examination.

Cinkara said, "While the current guidance records and concrete statements in the GNAT Investigation Commission minutes clearly reveal the negligence, this rejection decision based on incomplete examination reinforces the perception of impunity."

Reminding that the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office also objected to the decision, Cinkara said that they are waiting for their application to the Gaziantep Regional Administrative Court to be accepted to reveal the material truth and identify those responsible.