Khaberni - The Turkish security authorities, on Wednesday, apprehended an administrative employee who held his colleague hostage under the threat of a gun for 4 hours at Gümüşhane University in northeastern Turkey. The Turkish media referred to the man as "H.T.", and his colleague as "D.B.".
The governor of Turkey's Sparta province, Aydin Barus, told reporters at the scene, that a report was received about a female officer being held hostage by an armed man at the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences at Gümüşhane University around 10:45 AM on Wednesday.
The governor noted that the employee had previously worked at a university in the state of Kars in 2017, and had started working at Gümüşhane University in 2020. He suffers from health issues and has a history of kidnapping.
The security forces initiated by sending special forces to the site, evacuating students and staff, before starting negotiations with the armed man.
After 4 hours of negotiations, the employee surrendered and released his colleague. The man was transported to the hospital, then referred to the state police department.
Turkish local media reported that the incident resulted in no fatalities or injuries. The security authorities tightened control over the university's entrances and exits, and took precautionary measures to prevent such incidents from recurring.
Meanwhile, the presidency of Gümüşhane University, on Wednesday, condemned the Turkish employee's detention of his colleague, revealing that the colleague is in poor psychological condition.
The incident sparked reactions on social media, and brought the issue of violence against women in Turkey to the forefront again.
