Khaberni - A high school student in Istanbul faces a 126-year prison sentence after he killed a teacher in his school during a mental illness episode he allegedly suffers from.
Last month, student Furkan Samet Balyemez (17 years old) attacked biology teacher Fatma Nur Çelik (44 years old) with a knife inside the classroom and killed her, and also stabbed a chemistry teacher and another high school student before he was subdued.
At the end of the investigations, the public prosecutor's office in the trial of the murderer requested his imprisonment for 126 years based on a medical report that confirms he is sane and responsible for his actions.
According to the indictment, on the day of the incident, the student came to school, moved between floors, and checked the class schedules to know the teachers' locations before entering a classroom and attacking the victim teacher with fatal stabs, then moved to attack another teacher in the adjacent classroom and stabbed a student in the meantime.
Turkish media reported that the public prosecutor's office relied on a medical committee report from a hospital for mental and neurological diseases, which concluded that Balyemez's complaints of "hearing voices" and "seeing shadows" did not reach the level of psychosis (insanity).
It added that Balyemez's ability to evaluate reality and guide his behavior was intact, and that he had full capacity to understand the legal meaning of his deeds and their consequences on the day of the incident.
The medical report clarified that Balyemez's act was not spontaneous, but rather showed a planned behavioral pattern that involved preparation, concealment, and targeting. It was also found that the accused harbored grudges against the teachers, and used phrases such as "we must kill them" with those around him.
Digital examinations revealed that shortly before the incident, the accused resorted to playing violent-themed video games and watching violent video clips.
The incident shook the city of Istanbul, and the following day, teachers in the city, which has a population of 16 million, organized a general strike that halted schools, protesting the murder of their colleague.
Teachers in other Turkish cities also held protest stands demanding the provision of protection and monitoring within schools.
An honored funeral was held for the deceased teacher inside her school, attended by a large number of government officials, teachers, and parents, and it was decided to name the school after the teacher.
Opposition parties called on the Ministry of Education to increase the number of educational counselors and security guards in schools, and teachers' unions called for stricter penalties for those involved in violence in schools.
