Türkiye starts new school year amid heightened security, concerns after attacks

ANKARA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Police presence, controlled entrances and added security personnel marked the start of Türkiye's new academic year on Monday, as the country sought to reassure families after deadly school attacks earlier this year.

Nearly 17 million students returned to classrooms nationwide for the 2026-2027 academic year. In Ankara, parents accompanying their children on the first day welcomed the increased security measures, while some said the attacks had left lasting emotional effects on their families.

Ibrahim Ergul, a public company employee and father of a seventh-grade girl, told Xinhua outside a school in the capital's Kecioren district that his family had been deeply affected by the events that unfolded in Kahramanmaras during the past school year.

"Our children need to feel secure so that we can also feel safe," he said, adding that some parents had visited schools daily after the attacks to check on their children.

The incidents in Türkiye in April marked an unprecedented shock for many Turkish families.

On April 14, an armed attack at a school in southeastern Türkiye's Sanliurfa province injured 16 people. The following day, nine people were killed in a school shooting in southern Türkiye's Kahramanmaras city.

The attacks raised widespread concerns over school safety and prompted calls for stronger preventive measures in Türkiye.

Emre Yalcin, a cafe owner and father of a fifth-grade student at a school in Ankara, said his children had been deeply affected.

"My eldest child initially did not want to go to school, afraid that something similar might happen again," he told Xinhua.

Yalcin welcomed the additional security personnel around the school, saying their presence appeared reassuring. However, he cautioned that security measures should remain proportionate to the educational environment.

In a social media post, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said authorities had raised security precautions to the highest level to ensure children could travel to school safely and return home peacefully.

Schools are being assessed according to their risk levels, with school police officers, safe education coordination officers, and patrol teams assigned based on local needs, the minister said.

Authorities also plan inspections around schools and school buses throughout the academic year, covering issues including drugs, traffic safety and cybersecurity.

The Education Ministry has instructed schools to implement controlled entry and exit procedures, review potential risks and maintain a safe school environment.

In Kecioren, parents said the visible security presence helped ease anxieties on the first day, although concerns about the psychological impact of the attacks remained.

Education expert Zeynep Taskin, based in Ankara, stressed that "security measures are important, but they should be accompanied by psychological support for students and teachers"

"Children need to feel protected without believing that schools are places of fear," she told Xinhua.