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A Turkish national weightlifter was briefly detained after entering a middle school in the central province of Konya and assaulting two students during a dispute linked to alleged peer bullying.
The incident took place on Feb. 3 at Adnan Hadiye Surmegoz Middle School in the Selcuklu district.
Authorities detained the athlete, identified as S.B.K., 20, after the incident. Police later released him following questioning.
The confrontation began after S.B.K.’s younger sister, identified as I.K., 14, reportedly told her family that a classmate had mocked her weight and bullied her at school.
Her mother and brother went to the school to speak with administrators about the allegation. School principal R.S. met the mother in his office to discuss the complaint.
While the meeting took place, S.B.K. waited in the hallway and encountered the student accused of bullying, identified as E.B.I.
According to reports, a verbal dispute quickly escalated. S.B.K. allegedly punched and kicked the student during the confrontation.
A teacher on duty intervened to separate the two. During the incident, the boy’s twin sister arrived and reacted to the situation. S.B.K. allegedly struck her as well before teachers managed to break up the altercation.
Teachers called the police after the fight. Officers arrived at the school and detained S.B.K. for questioning.
Authorities later released the athlete after taking his statement.
Local reports also noted that S.B.K. won a European weightlifting championship at the age of 17.
In his statement to police, the school principal described how the situation unfolded during his meeting with the student’s mother.
“The student’s mother came to my office and told me that another student had bullied her daughter because of her weight,” the principal said. He added that the school planned to evaluate the allegation with the vice principal responsible for seventh and eighth grades and with the guidance counselor.
The principal said he noticed shouting and commotion on security cameras while the meeting was still ongoing.
“When I went into the corridor, I saw the teacher on duty trying to intervene in the fight,” he said.
The principal told the athlete that entering the school and assaulting students over the allegation was unacceptable.
Authorities said an investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
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