The Cambodian Higher Education Association (CHEA) released a statement on Saturday defending Zaman University against calls for its closure over alleged links to a group blamed for the failed coup in Turkey last month.
The statement dismissed Turkish Ambassador Ilhan Kemal Tug’s claims that the university—along with Zaman’s primary school and high school—was affiliated with a “terrorist organization,” as well as his request that it be shuttered.
“The request for the closure of private Zaman institutes proposed by a Turkish high-ranking diplomat had no clear evidence and has not proven legitimate yet, and causes concern over the future of Cambodian students who are studying now,” it said.
“Under any circumstance,” the group said, it would “continue to support Zaman institute.”
Last week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it was considering the ambassador’s diplomatic request to close Zaman’s schools.
Zaman had condemned the coup in Turkey and denied any formal connection to cleric Fethullah Gulen.
Gülen’s lawyer warns about possible doctored tapes
Lawyer Nurullah Albayrak in a written statement referred to lies and defamation about Gülen in the media which have become widespread and said Gülen’s phone calls have been illegally wiretapped. “These calls are reported in the media without taking any ethical principles into consideration,” he said, adding that it is very likely there will be edited phone calls as part of a black propaganda campaign against Gülen.
Anti-police operation is gov’t attempt to take revenge for graft probe
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has recently been engaged in a bitter fight with the Hizmet movement. This conflict intensified after Dec. 17, 2013, when a major graft operation targeting government ministers and connected businessmen became public. The prime minister claims the operation was orchestrated by the Hizmet movement in an effort to overthrow his government. However, he has not provided any evidence to prove this claim, and the movement denies the accusation.
Opposition does not believe Gulen movement was behind the coup attempt
Dr. Kadir Akyuz of University of Bridgeport, CT, USA has carried out a poll to find out who the general public believe was behind the bloody coup attempt in July 2915. According to his results, opposition does not believe the Gulen movement but it was conspired by the “deadly combo” of Tayyip Erdogan and Dogu Perincek.
Turkey: Effort to Force Closure of Gülen Schools Falling Flat in Eurasia
The situation in Georgia illustrates the challenge for Turkish diplomats. A few days after the July 15 coup attempt, a translation of a TV interview began circulating that featured Yasin Temizkan, Turkey’s consul in the city of Batumi. In the interview, Temizkan urged the Georgian government to close the local Refaiddin Şahin Friendship School, a private institution considered part of the Gülen network. The justification, Temizkan said, was that the school was “serving terrorist groups.”
Pak Turk International Schools, Colleges Organize 14th Inter-School Mathematics Olympiad
The 14th edition of much awaited annual event National Inter Schools Mathematics Olympiad (ISMO) was held in 28 branches of Pak Turk international school and college and around 14,000 students participated from all over country.
Rule of law(lessness) in Turkey?
It turned out that I was overly optimistic, for I did not want to believe that a prime minister who bravely fought the old, authoritarian establishment in the people’s name for years could have changed so much, adopting just the same behavior we were subjected to in the past. I had thought that those bitter experiences were only a distant memory. Unfortunately, I was wrong — terribly so.
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