School Shootings Highlight Need to Support Youth in Türkiye

In recent days, communities in Türkiye have been shaken by two school shootings; rare and deeply distressing acts of violence in places meant to be safe.

On April 15th, in Kahramanmaraş, a teenage student opened fire inside a secondary school, killing eight students and a teacher, and injuring 13 others.¹ The attack took place during the school day, with reports of children fleeing classrooms in panic.

Just a day earlier, a separate incident unfolded in Siverek, in Şanlıurfa province, when a former student entered a high school with a shotgun, injuring 16 people before taking his own life. Many of the wounded were students and teachers.²

School shootings are rare in Türkiye, but when violence enters a place of learning, the impact does not end in that moment. It reaches into homes, into classrooms, and into the inner worlds of children and young people. It shapes how they understand safety, trust, and what the world around them means.

It is an issue SAT-7 takes seriously. In a nation where so many youth are already navigating fear and uncertainty, the question of where they turn for answers is vital.

Pressure and fear

Children and young people across Türkiye are growing up in a complex environment, managing pressures and, at times, fears they may not yet have the words to name.

According to UNICEF,³ the child poverty rate in Türkiye currently stands at 32 percent; over 7 million children. Hundreds of thousands are engaged in work while still of school age. Others face barriers to education or are growing up in vulnerable circumstances shaped by economic hardship and displacement.

Still others are living with a sense of uncertainty that can be difficult to understand, let alone express. One mother, Sevda, wrote to SAT-7 TÜRK about her seven-year-old son, who had been waking in terror at night, crying that he would die, that he would be killed.

It was only after reaching out for prayer that things began to change. As she read a children’s Bible to him, Sevda’s son slowly found peace. One morning, he told her about a dream in which Jesus appeared to him as a doctor, saying, “Read the Bible every day, and you will never be afraid again; I will always be with you.”

For families like Sevda’s, the need for comfort is not abstract. It is immediate, deeply personal, and often overwhelming.

The concern extends beyond younger children. Writing to SAT-7 TÜRK’s Homemade program, one viewer, Veysel, put it plainly: “Teenagers are full of courage and want to be noticed, but they are not receiving the attention they need. They are exposed to drugs and many other dangers, and they are being pushed away.”

Space for young people

This is where SAT-7 TÜRK’s programming makes a difference. Across its broadcasts, the aim is to create a safe space for connection, reflection, and understanding, especially for younger audiences.

Through dedicated children’s content, including programs such as Great News,⁴ young viewers are gently introduced to faith in ways that are accessible and engaging, through stories, songs, and simple, relatable ideas.

As they grow older, youth-focused programs begin to explore deeper questions of identity, purpose, and belonging. Campfire⁵ creates space for open discussion around the challenges young people are navigating, helping them engage with faith in a way that feels relevant to their lives.

In the new program Believe If You Can, that journey takes another step. Designed as a talk show format, this program brings together real people from different walks of life within Turkish society. Through conversation, humor, and interactive moments, it offers something many young people in Türkiye may not often see: faith lived out in everyday life.

There is support for parents too, through programs such as Homemade⁶ that engage with themes around children’s wellbeing, exploring questions of safety, rights, and the challenges young people face today. Parents are Asking,⁷ developed in collaboration with experienced psychologists, addresses some of the most pressing emotional and relational challenges faced by children, young people, and families today.

A response rooted in prayer

Following the recent school attacks in Türkiye, SAT-7 TÜRK viewers responded with messages of prayer.

“May the Lord protect our innocent children. May He protect those who serve in the field of education,” wrote one viewer.

“Dear brothers and sisters, please join me in prayer for the families of the children who lost their lives in the armed attack at the school in Kahramanmaraş,” said another. “I pray for peace for each and every family. May God protect our children.”

Such responses reflect the weight of what has happened, a shared longing to keep children safe and to find hope beyond what can be seen.

In this context, SAT-7 TÜRK is offering support for children and families, and a place where faith feels human and relevant. For children and young people who are searching for something, what they see – and who they hear – may make all the difference.

Sources

¹ Reuters
² AP News
³ UNICEF
⁴ https://sat7.org/great-news-for-turkish-children/
⁵ https://sat7.org/new-nature-based-discipleship-series-for-turkish-youth/
⁶ https://sat7.org/healing-wounds-new-season-of-flagship-show-offers-comfort-and-strength/
⁷ https://sat7.org/biblical-wisdom-and-support-for-mena-parents/