Turkey's interior minister orders expanded police and gendarmerie security at schools

During a security briefing at the Security and Emergency Coordination Center, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi declared that protecting schools is now a foremost concern for the government. He instructed police and gendarmerie forces to place extra guards, temporary security staff and police wardens at school gates, on buses and around abandoned buildings frequented by children. The minister demanded that personnel be present at least half an hour before students arrive to ensure readiness. He also called for heightened patrols and inspections by public order, narcotics, child-protection, community policing and traffic units, especially during peak times such as arrivals, dismissals and lunch breaks. Çiftçi emphasized coordination between police and gendarmerie to address risks like bullying, violence and drug threats, and linked the initiative to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's broader safety agenda.