Karatay district in Konya trains 8,100 primary students in traffic safety

In the 2025‑2026 school year, Karatay municipality coordinated with the Konya Provincial Police, the Konya Gendarmerie Command and the district Education Directorate to run the "Traffic Values and Rules Training" program at the Karatay Traffic Education Park. The programme provided theoretical and practical traffic‑safety lessons to 8,100 pupils from 59 elementary schools. A closing ceremony was attended by Mayor Hasan Kılca, Jandarma commander Cemil Lütfi Özkul, police chief Ayhan Kelekçi and education director Turan Kayacılar. Students practiced safe driving, stopping, parking, maintaining distance, seat‑belt use and pedestrian behavior on an electric‑vehicle course and received notebooks, colouring books, key‑chains, certificates and bags. Mayor Kılca stressed the importance of early traffic awareness.

A separate initiative, the Karatay Nature School (Tabiat Mektebi), also concluded its 2025‑2026 activities. Approximately 9,000 students participated in hands‑on environmental workshops such as clay, wood, greenhouse and orienteering sessions, as well as waste‑reduction projects. The closing event featured exhibitions of student work, a mehter band performance and distribution of plant‑pot kits. Both programmes aim to nurture safety and environmental consciousness among children in the district.