Killing of Ibrahim Oktugan

On 7 May 2024, İbrahim Oktugan, a 74-year-old principal of a private high school in Istanbul's Eyüpsultan district, was fatally shot. Prosecutors accuse a 17-year-old former student, described in reporting as being of Iraqi origin and holding Turkish citizenship. The student had been expelled approximately five months earlier, in December 2023, following repeated disciplinary conflicts with teachers and administrators. Prosecutors allege that he returned to the school, entered Oktugan's office, and shot him five times. Oktugan was taken to a hospital but died from his injuries despite emergency treatment.

School officials said Oktugan had expelled the student after repeated behavioral problems, and they cited the expulsion as the motive for the killing. A teacher at the school said the student had frequently been disrespectful toward teachers. The student's family had attempted to contest the expulsion, but school authorities upheld it. After the shooting, police apprehended and detained the student, who was transferred to the juvenile police bureau and then a courthouse. Reporting said he had a prior record involving weapon possession and assault, and that he allegedly shared a video on social media claiming responsibility. Security footage reportedly showed him entering and leaving the principal's office within about 20 seconds while carrying a firearm.

The killing prompted family members, colleagues, and students to gather in protest and call for stronger protections for educators. Education unions organized nationwide strikes; on 10 May 2024, teachers protested in all 81 provinces, including demonstrations outside the Ministry of National Education in Ankara and at Beyazıt Square in Istanbul. Many parents kept children home from school. Deputy President Cevdet Yılmaz, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, and Education Minister Yusuf Tekin visited a high school in Ankara in response, with Yılmaz stating that legislative measures were being prepared to address violence against teachers.

A trial opened at the Istanbul 1st Heavy Penal Court, with the juvenile defendant present and the Oktugan family participating as complainants. The defense claimed provocation and racism at the school; a co-defendant who was present at the scene claimed the juvenile defendant confronted Oktugan without provocation. The family's lawyer questioned the defendant's stated age and requested a bone-age determination report. The court ordered his continued detention and further review of camera footage. Prosecutors sought a sentence of 19 to 27 years for premeditated murder and unlicensed firearm possession, and sentences of 15 to 20 years for other people accused of aiding the act.