Education minister calls on African ambassadors to have Gülen-inspired schools closed

Turkey's National Education Minister İsmet Yılmaz.
Turkey's National Education Minister İsmet Yılmaz.


Date posted: September 20, 2017

Turkish Education Minister İsmet Yılmaz has called on ambassadors of African countries to have their governments close schools affiliated with the faith-based Gülen movement, the t24 news website reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, Yılmaz warned ambassadors about Gülen supporters living in African countries and said Turkey’s Maarif Foundation was working on taking over Gülen-affiliated schools and opening new schools in African countries.

“We want Africans, our friends and brothers, to get rid of FETÖ [a derogatory term used by the Turkish government to refer to the Gülen movement] schools.”

The military coup attempt on July 15, 2016 killed 249 people and wounded more than a thousand others. Immediately after the putsch, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government along with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement.

Gülen, whose views inspired the movement, strongly denied having any role in the failed coup and called for an international investigation into it, but Erdoğan and the government initiated a widespread purge aimed at cleansing sympathizers of the movement from within state institutions, dehumanizing its popular figures and putting them in custody.

Erdoğan also launched a witch-hunt against Gülen followers worldwide, asking several countries to close down Gülen-affiliated schools and institutions as well as to detain and extradite teachers, businessmen and their families who sympathize with the movement.

Turkey’s Justice Ministry announced on July 13 that 50,510 people have been arrested and 169,013 have been the subject of legal proceedings on coup charges since the failed coup.

Turkey has suspended or dismissed more than 150,000 judges, teachers, police and civil servants since July 15 through government decrees issued as part of the state of emergency.

 

Source: Turkish Minute , September 19, 2017


Related News

New York Times urges Obama not to deport Gulen

In an editorial titled ‘Let Mr. Erdogan Fight His Own Battles’ published on May 2, the New York Times said ‘The American government is obliged to examine the request if Mr. Erdogan follows through and formally files one. But right now the threat seems to be nothing more than a crass and cynical attempt to exploit the law, and Turkey’s alliance with the United States, for political payback.’

Turkish language and culture festivals held in three countries

Language and culture festivals where contestants are selected to participate in the 12th Turkish Language Olympiad were held in three countries over the past week.

Erdoğan’s stance on Turkish Schools turns to hatred after corruption probes

The discourse that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan displays towards internationally-located Turkish schools — which are run by Turkish entrepreneurs inspired by the teachings of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen — shifted completely towards a hateful stance after corruption investigations went public in December 2013 incriminated Erdoğan, his family members and close associates.

‘Parallel state’ and ‘theft of national will’

There is not a single piece of concrete evidence indicating that prosecutors and police officers had acted in contravention of laws and regulations in the investigation into the corruption claims that implicated some former Cabinet members and their sons. However, these public officials who performed their lawful duties in full compliance with the principles of transparency, accountability and equality — which are fundamental characteristics of the regimes that uphold the rule of law — were recklessly accused by the prime minister and his cronies of being the “parallel state.

African Union Commission chair receives Gülen peace award

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, was awarded the Fethullah Gülen Peace and dialogue Award during the eighth annual Ubuntu Lecture and Dialogue Awards ceremony, held in Johannesburg on Thursday evening.

5-months pregnant woman detained as police fail to locate husband

A woman, identified as B.D. was detained after police failed to locate her husband as part an investigation in to the Gulen movement, media reported Saturday.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

AK Party-Hizmet clash a blessing for world Muslims

Pak-Turk schools hold graduates moot

Turkish-Armenian intellectual says failed coup staged to purge Gülen followers

Turkey Systematically And Deliberately Jails Women As Part Of Fear And Intimidation Campaign

Fethullah Gulen: ISIL Actions Contradict Quran

Turkish police raid Zaman building, attempt to detain editor

8,480 Turkish nationals sought asylum in Germany in 2017

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News