Turkey to hold funerals for school shooting victims

Turkey will hold funerals for nine victims killed in a school shooting by a 14-year-old, an attack that has sent shockwaves across the country, with authorities saying the suspect had referenced a US mass killer in a WhatsApp profile image.

The attack in the southern province of Kahramanmaras was Turkey's second such incident this week in a country where such shootings have been rare.

The 14-year-old armed entered two classrooms and opened fire randomly as officials said he carried five guns.

The funerals will take place in the city of Kahramanmaras for eight children aged 10 and 11 and a 55-year-old teacher, the local authorities said.

Police said the teenager had referenced US mass killer Elliot Rodger in a photo on his WhatsApp profile.

"Initial findings from the investigation revealed that the perpetrator used an image on his WhatsApp profile referencing Elliot Rodger, who carried out an attack in the United States in 2014," the police said in a statement.

Rodger - a 22-year-old American - killed six people on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara, before taking his own life.

Rodger explained in a video released before his crime that the attack was "punishment" for the women who had rejected him.

The 14-year-old who carried out yesterday's shooting died at the scene, officials said, though it was not clear how his death happened.

The father of teenager, identified as a former police inspector, was arrested and taken into custody.

"Digital media seized during searches of the perpetrator's home and his father's vehicle have been confiscated and are currently being analysed," the police said.

"Based on initial findings, no link to terrorism has been established. This appears to be an isolated act."

Schools will remain closed in Kahramanmaras today and tomorrow.

Police order arrests

Police said they had ordered dozens of arrests for people accused of posting controversial content on social media after the two deadly school shootings.

"Arrest orders were issued for 83 individuals found to have engaged in posts and activities praising crime and criminals and negatively affecting public order, and legal action has been taken against them," the police said in a statement.

In addition, access to 940 social media accounts has been blocked, and 93 Telegram groups have been shut down, it added.

On Tuesday, a student opened fire at his former high school in the Siverek district in the southeast, wounding 16 people including students before killing himself.

The incidents in a row this week triggered protests.

Dozens of members of the main teachers' unions gathered yesterday evening outside the education ministry in Ankara and called for a two-day strike across Turkey.

They carried banner reading "We will not surrender our schools to violence".

More than 3,500 teachers from several education unions are protesting in Ankara today, calling for the resignation of the education minister.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed sadness over Wednesday's "tragic attack" but promised the incident would be shed light "in all its aspects".