A research assistant shot and killed four staff members at a university in central Turkey, the university's president said Thursday.

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Prof. Hasan Gonen of Osmangazi University, in the city of Eskisehir, some 250 kilometers west of Ankara, told reporters that the gunman shot and killed a deputy dean, a secretary and two teaching staff at the university's faculty of education.

The attacker, identified as Volkan Bayar, was apprehended by police as he left the scene, Gonen said.

Gonen said the motive of the attack appeared to be a personal dispute. The attacker's main target appeared to be the university dean, who was not in his office when the gunman arrived, he added.

He said the gunman, who was studying for a doctor's degree, had been under investigation at the university after he accused a number of staff members of being followers of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey blames for a failed coup in 2016.

Turkey has arrested tens of thousands of people for alleged links to the coup and dismissed more than 110,000 others from government jobs, including universities.

Gov. Ozdemir Cakacak said three prosecutors had been assigned to investigate the case.

Earlier, unconfirmed reports said three people were injured in the attack.

Relatives of the victims rushed to the university as soon as news of the attack broke.

(AP)

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