27 January 2018•Update: 28 January 2018
ANKARA
A Turkish state-run education foundation has signed memorandum of understandings with 26 countries in Africa to take control of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO)-linked schools.
“We have signed protocols with 26 countries in Africa and 16 of them have so far transferred the schools. We are continuing providing education to 8,900 students,” said Hasan Yavuz, a board member of the Maarif Foundation.
Turkey established the Maarif Foundation in 2016 to take over the administration of overseas schools linked to FETO. It also establishes schools and education centers abroad. To date around 30 African countries have handed over FETO schools to Maarif or closed them down at Ankara's request.
FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
Yavuz said the biggest schools in Africa were in Mali, where he said the foundation took over the institutions two months ago.
Reporting by Erdal Celiker:Writing by Faruk Zorlu
