Research assistant shoots dead four staff at Osmangazi university in central Turkey

A research assistant has shot and killed four staff members at a university in central Turkey, the university's president has said.

Professor Hasan Gonen of Osmangazi University, in the city of Eskisehir, some 250km west of Ankara, told reporters the gunman shot and killed a deputy dean, a secretary and two teaching staff.

The shooter, named as Volkan Baya, was apprehended by police after he left the scene, Mr Gonen said.

He said the motive of the attack appeared to be a personal dispute. The attacker's main target appeared to be the university dean, who was not in his office when the gunman arrived, he added.

He said the gunman, who was studying for a doctor's degree, had been under investigation at the university after he accused a number of staff members of being followers of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey blames for a failed coup in 2016.

Turkey has arrested tens of thousands of people for alleged links to the attempted coup and dismissed more than 110,000 others from government jobs, including universities.

Governor Ozdemir Cakacak said three prosecutors had been assigned to investigate the case.

Earlier, unconfirmed reports said three people were also injured. Relatives rushed to the university as soon as news of the attack broke.

Additional reporting by AP