11 Students Injured in the Armed Attack in Manisa Turgutlu, Teachers Protested for Security

In the armed attack in front of İnci Üzmez Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Turgutlu, Manisa, 11 students were injured yesterday, and students who went to school from their homes were the target of bullets before they could reach their desks. Following the incident, educators took to the streets to react to schools being made unsafe. Teachers gathered on Avcılar Marmara Street and expressed their reactions by chanting slogans such as "We do not want to die in schools" and "Teacher enemy Yusuf Tekin resign."

'WE HAVE PASSED OUR OWN PROBLEMS, WE WANT LIFE SAFETY'

Teachers who participated in the action stated in their evaluations that educators had to put aside chronic problems such as financial difficulties and mobbing and go out in fear of their lives. The statement said, "Today, we could talk about the livelihood difficulties of education workers, the mobbing they face in schools, or the arbitrary decisions of incompetent administrators. We could talk about our demands to provide children with a free meal and clean water. These are all humanitarian demands. However, unfortunately today, teachers have come together and say 'We do not want to be killed'. We have overcome our own problems, our livelihood difficulties; we want the safety of our children and ourselves. If the teachers live, the students will protect this country."

'WHY WAS PRECAUTIONS NOT TAKEN IN THE 1ST DEGREE RISK SCHOOL?'

Oğuz Akkaş, Head of Eğitim-İş Istanbul Branch No. 3, read the joint press release and pointed out that the school where the attack took place had previously been determined as 'first degree risk' and called on the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Authorities to take action. Akkaş asked the following critical questions and criticisms in his speech: "11 of our students were injured in the armed attack in front of İnci Üzmez Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Manisa's Turgutlu district. Our children, who left their homes to receive education, were caught in the middle of armed violence before they could reach their school desks. What makes the events even worse is that this school has been evaluated as a 'first degree risky school' in terms of security. Classifying schools as risky areas is a serious problem in itself. However, since this school is the first "It was determined to be extremely risky, why were the security measures required for this risk not taken? The fact that the safety of our children could not be ensured even at the school gate is a very serious weakness of the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

ATTACK 15 HOURS AFTER THE PROTOCOL: 'A COMPLETE LACK OF SERIOUSNESS'

Emphasizing that the necessary security screenings and preparations were not made during the summer holidays, Akkaş stated that the protocols signed by the ministries were not reflected on the field and said: "Following the attacks in the last academic year, we had a two-month summer holiday ahead of us. This time was enough to identify risky schools and take the necessary precautions. Despite this, a week after the schools opened, seven ministries went in front of the cameras and announced that a security assessment was made and signed the protocol. Just 15 hours after these statements and signatures, an attack in which 11 of our students were injured was a complete disaster." It is an example of frivolity and irresponsibility.”

'WE WANT LIFE SAFETY, NOT Aprons'

The press conference ended with a symbolic protest in which teachers showed their aprons. Referring to the obligation to wear aprons, which was recently brought to the agenda by the Ministry, teachers reacted by saying, "The priority issue for us and our students is not the dress or style of clothing, but the safety of life in schools."