Formerly Gülen-linked schools in Albania face growing gov’t pressure

Cultural Olympics event organized by Gülen movement in the capital of Albania, Tirana in March 2014.
Cultural Olympics event organized by Gülen movement in the capital of Albania, Tirana in March 2014.


Date posted: December 5, 2020

Several schools formerly run by the Gülen movement in Albania have been the subject of growing government pressure in recent weeks in the form of police raids on their premises and inspections of their earlier financial records, Turkish Minute has learned.

Staff members from the Turgut Özal School in Tirana told Turkish Minute on condition of anonymity that the stepped-up pressure on the schools, which were transferred to Dutch company BF Cooperatief UA in 2017, is aimed at ensuring the transfer of the schools to Turkey’s Maarif Foundation as well as the extradition of Gülen-linked individuals in the country to Turkey.

Maarif was established by the Turkish government prior to a coup attempt on July 15, 2016 through legislation in the Turkish parliament, and after the abortive putsch, it targeted the closure of Gülen-linked educational institutions as part of Turkish foreign policy since the government accuses the Gülen movement of orchestrating the failed coup and has launched a crackdown on the movement.

On Oct. 28 the campus of the Turgut Özal School was raided by Albanian police without any court order or warrant, and excessive force was used in the presence of students.

The raid made its way into the Albanian media, and a lawyer representing the school said in a statement to Albanian media outlets: “There have been some inspections that we deem illegal, and we have addressed them in a criminal complaint. The police entered by force, raided the premises and forcibly took tax invoices, the sales ledger, student registers and contracts with parents and students. …. Inspections cannot be carried out without respecting the code of criminal procedure.”

The lawyer also noted that the school had been subjected to a tax audit and that the results showed no irregularities.

The lawyer said the school had filed criminal complaints against 12 officers from the Albanian police force for the unlawful raid on the school.

The Albanian government has been criticized for its treatment of Turkish citizens who have been extradited or who are to be deported to Turkey. In January the EU reminded the Albanian government of its human rights obligations after they deported Harun Çelik, an alleged Gülen movement follower, to Turkey, despite him asking for political asylum.

Another Turkish citizen, Selami Şimşek, also an alleged Gülen follower, is currently fighting to overturn a decision to deport him as he says he faces unjust imprisonment if he is returned to Turkey.

The Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan enjoy close relations with Albania.

A memorial was erected in Tirana for the victims of the coup attempt in Turkey in 2016. The memorial has angered some nationalists in the country as it has nothing to do with Albania and is the only such memorial for July 15 coup victims outside Turkey. Nationalist circles in Albania claim that a similar memorial should be erected in Turkey as well in line with the principal of reciprocity for the Albanian victims of communism.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s state-run housing authority, TOKİ, in July signed an agreement with Albanian authorities for the construction of 522 houses in the city of Laç for the victims of a magnitude 5.6 earthquake that hit the country in September 2019.

The Turkish government has also launched an initiative in Tirana to plant 1,000 trees upon an order from Erdoğan.

“This was undertaken by President Erdoğan. At the same time, 11 million trees are being planted around the world. This has entered the Guinness Book of  Records,” said Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Wednesday as he took part in the tree planting ceremony at Farka Lake, according to Albanian news outlets.

Source: Turkish Minute , November 12, 2020


Related News

Freedom comes with a price

Those who raise demands for democracy and transparency are being raided, arrested or smeared as a result of the government’s reliance on Nazi Germany methods of persecution and oppression.

Self-criticism by the Hizmet movement

Hizmet is composed of volunteers who are heterogeneous in terms of religiosity, ideology, lifestyle, occupation, degree of involvement in Hizmet activities and so on. Since Hizmet is not a hierarchical organization, it does not have a headquarters. As a result, it is difficult to talk about Hizmet’s mistakes. One can talk about the mistakes of some Hizmet volunteers or institutions that are affiliated with Hizmet.

The Gulen Institute Youth Platform has announced its fifth international essay contest

The Gulen Institute Youth Platform, which is located in Texas, has announced its fifth international essay contest, which is open to all high school students in grades 9th through 12th currently enrolled in public or private schools from all over the world.  Students are invited to address global challenges and propose potential solutions based on […]

Thousands bid farewell to Turkish teacher killed in Somalia

Thousands of people joined funeral prayers held for Hıdır Çalka, a Turkish teacher who was among five people who were killed when unidentified gunmen attacked a school bus carrying students, teachers and school staff in Mogadishu on Wednesday, in İstanbul on Saturday. Çalka was among two volunteer expat teachers who were killed in the attack. […]

Nigerian vice-ambassador demands more Turkish schools in his country

“Students, parents and our state are all very much pleased with these schools. We have a population of 170 million and the young generation constitutes a large part of it. So, we demand more of these schools. They are empowering the Nigerian education system as well. They are in demand. Their graduates are able to study at leading universities in Turkey. Affiliates of these schools are operating not only in my country but also around the world.”

Hizmet in Context: Societal Islam Versus Political Islam

The Hizmet movement is according to Ebaugh (2010) a civic movement rooted in Islam that is independent from the state. Others see it simply as a faith- based movement (Esposito and Yilmaz 2010). Agai (2004) describes it as an education network and Hendrick (2009) as a global pressure group to promote Turkish interests.

Latest News

Erdogan’s Failed Crusade: The World Rejects His War on Hizmet

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?

In Case You Missed It

11 Gülen sympathizers held hostage at Saudi hotel deported to Turkey

Kids with Down syndrome suffer from major health problems in absence of jailed teacher father

University entrance exam results announced, top scorers from Gülen-affiliated schools

Tanzania dismisses Turkish gov’t allegations concerning Feza schools, asks for proof

NJ Legislature recognized Turkish-American organizations for accomplishments, contributions

Portrait of Fethullah Gülen: A Modern Turkish-Islamic Reformist

Liberal Turkish Journalists Champion Freedom of Expression, to a Degree

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News