Authorities on Friday have referred 10 suspects to court in connection with the recent armed attack on a police station in the western province of Izmir.
The suspects include the parents of the 16-year-old assailant, identified as E.B., who carried out the attack earlier this week. They were taken into custody along with eight others following the incident.
After completing their procedures at the Izmir Police Department’s Counterterrorism Branch, the suspects were transferred to the courthouse for further legal action.
Meanwhile, E.B. remains under medical treatment at a hospital. Once doctors provide the necessary reports on his condition, he is expected to be referred to court as well. The attacker, E.B., was shot in the leg and captured wounded.
The assailant was living in the same neighborhood as the police station. His father said that his son showed radical behavior recently, spending a long time on the phone and computer.
Besides the two police officers who lost their lives, another two officers and a civilian were wounded in the attack in the Balçova district of Izmir, Türkiye’s third-largest city.
The assailant first shot and killed a police officer who was standing guard in front of the station. The second victim was a police chief inspector who was killed in an ensuing clash.
The incident sent shockwaves across the country with messages of condolences pouring from Cabinet members, officials and politicians.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed accountability on Monday.
The attack also brought back debates about child criminals. Increasing criminal acts carried out by children under the age of 18 have led to discussions on how to prevent a further rise, and children being used by criminal gangs, as they receive lighter sentences when involved in crimes.
