President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has sacked the country’s Deputy Education Minister, Nazif Yilmaz, following deadly school shootings in two provinces that left nine people dead.
In the first incident, eight students aged 10 and 11, along with a teacher, were killed when a 14-year-old opened fire at a school in the southern province of Kahramanmaras.
Authorities said the attacker, who died at the scene, brought five firearms to the school and was the son of a former police inspector, who has since been arrested.
In a separate attack in southeastern Sanliurfa province, a former student reportedly opened fire at his old high school before taking his own life when confronted by police.
Under a decree signed by Erdogan, Deputy Education Minister, Yilmaz was removed from office and replaced by Cihad Demirli.
The decree also affected leadership roles in state education institutions, according to the official gazette.
The incidents have triggered widespread public outrage in Turkey, with the government indicating plans to introduce stricter measures, including tighter gun control regulations.
