Four people killed in university shooting in Turkey’s Eskişehir

ESKİŞEHİR

Four people were killed by a research assistant at a university in the central Anatolian province of Eskişehir on April 5.

The incident occurred on the Meşelik campus of Eskişehir Osmangazi University at around 3:00 p.m.

The research assistant, Volkan Bayar, 37, killed deputy dean Mikail Yalçın, faculty secretary Fatih Özmutlu, research assistant Yasin Armağan and lecturer Serdar Çağlak at the education faculty of the university.

Three people were also wounded in the attack.

The university’s rector Hasan Gönen confirmed to private broadcaster CNN Türk that four people had been killed.

Gönen said there had already been an ongoing investigation into Bayar.

“A research assistant named Volkan Bayar first entered the dean’s room. The dean had not been in the room by chance. Bayar shot and killed education faculty secretary Fatih Özmutlu, deputy dean Mikail Yalçın and two research assistants. Then, he was arrested by police after he left the building with a gun. Bayar had accused some academics of being a member of FETÖ [Fethullahist Terrorist Organization]. We have been investigating him. His investigation was ongoing but he was on duty. The dean was probably his target. There may have been verbal discussions with the dean before but we are uncertain about that,” said the rector.

Ayşe Aypay, who had a conflict with the assailant, had a nervous breakdown after the massacre. Aypay’s friends tried to calm her for a long time.

After she calmed down, she said they had filed a complaint about him many times.

“We have filed a petition to the [Education] Ministry’s Council of Higher Education [YÖK] and the presidency has retained it. We have petitioned many times and they have not even started the process. It cost four lives. My husband was dismissed from duty after Volkan Bayar’s accusations. He stayed in prison for five-and-a-half months. Who will pay them?” she said.

Many police officers and ambulances were dispatched to the scene as students and the personnel of the university were evacuated immediately.

The attack sparked panic at the university, with both students and teachers in a state of shock. Television pictures showed shocked staff and students gathering outside the university’s main entrance.

University officials announced that faculty exams were canceled.

Meanwhile, the assailant surrendered and was detained by police following the attack. There was no indication of the assailant’s motive, describing him as a research fellow at the university working in the education faculty. Police took him for questioning.