Prank at girls’ dormitory creates panic, delays exams
A PRANK organized by three students at a girls’ dormitory in the central Karaman province ended badly. The prank, which gained nationwide coverage, triggered a terror scare and caused a nearby university to cancel its midterm exams.
The whole ordeal started on Sunday when several students staying at the stateowned Nefise Sultan Girls’ Dormitory claimed someone dressed in all black with his or her face covered with hair entered the rooms in the middle of the night, woke them up, told them something in Arabic and left notes saying “it’s your turn” or “you’re going to die” written on them.
As the word quickly spread to the other students staying in the 1,400-person dorm, panic ensued, and the students wanted to leave the building in the middle of the night, only to be convinced not to do so by dormitory personnel.
The mysterious incident made national news when eight students were hospitalized after suffering nervous breakdowns, while many others had to be treated by first responders.
On Monday, the Karaman provincial branch of the General Directorate of Higher Education Credit and Dormitories Agency (KYK) launched an investigation into the incident and said neither the security camera footage nor the entrance records showed anyone entering dormitory’s premises.
The Karaman governorate also stated later in the day that the issue seemed to have stemmed from the “excessive” behavior of several students. Meanwhile, police also imposed measures to assure the students’ safety.
Despite the assuring statements from authorities, many students were seen leaving the dormitory as concerned parents flocked to the facility to pick up their children.
The students told reporters that such incidents had been going on in the dormitory for the past couple of weeks, and that they were under a lot of stress. Some even said they had been pushing their desks behind their doors to prevent intruders from entering. Others said they left glass bottles behind the doors like makeshift alarms.
The incident is being called the “Samara” incident in the Turkish media since some of the students likened “the intruder” to the character Samara Morgan of the 2002 horror movie “The Ring.”
The mystery and absence of students prompted Karamanoğlu Mehmet Bey University to postpone all of its midterm exams scheduled for Monday, causing more students to leave the dormitory.
Following a detailed investigation by KYK investigators and police, which included testimonies from over 200 students, the truth behind the scare was revealed on Tuesday.
In their testimonies, three students admitted that they painted their faces for a prank, however, claimed that they had nothing to do with the notes.
In a statement, the KYK said disciplinary proceedings have been launched against the “prankster” students.