The main issue Erdogan raises with his African counterparts is not improving economic and political relations, but the closure of the Gulen movement schools or their transfer to the Turkish Maarif Foundation, which was established solely for this purpose. Mr. Erdogan seems to be using official development assistances and “other financial tools” as carrots to convince African leaders.
Turkey’s relations with African countries have been strained following demands by the Turkish government to close Gulenist schools in Sudan, Nigeria, and Somalia. After the attempted coup in Turkey on July 15, which the Turkish government has accused Gulen of masterminding, Turkey’s ambassador to Nigeria called for 17 Gulenist schools in the country to be closed.
In Kenya, where Gulen’s Omeriye Foundation has grown from its first school in 1998 in the vast Nairobi slum of Kibera to a nationwide network of academies, the government has resisted pressure to close them down. Turkish officials have requested Kenya to shut down the Gulenist schools on a number of occasions before the attempted coup.
Somaliland administration in northwestern Somalia has refused to follow in the footsteps of the federal government that suspended a school with links to reclusive Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen following a failed coup attempt in Turkey, Garowe Online reports.
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. […]
The terror attack in Somalia’s city of Mogadishu on a school bus, which resulted in the loss of five beautiful friends and the injuries of others, among whom were school-aged children, has once again wrenched our hearts already wounded by recent tragedies.
Ramadan, the sultan of the 11 months, is the period of time where most aids and charities are done. Philanthropists are helping both domestic and international muslims, making this month fertile for muslims. Nil Organization which provides education, health and humanitarian assistance in Somalia, is working hard to make Somalians happy this Ramadan too. There […]
The Bedir Turkish High School in Mogadishu, Kıblenuma Elementary School, Kıblenuma Girl’s School and Somaliland VifakTurkish School in thecountry offer modern vocational trainingf or Somali children as well as winning medals in international contests, leading to increased hopes for a better future in thecountry.