Sudan hands over Gulen-linked schools to Turkish gov’t

May 14, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese authorities on Saturday handed over the schools linked to the Turkish opponent Fethullah Gulen to Turkey’s Maarif (Education) Foundation.

Turkish government accuses the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen of being behind the July 15 coup attempt in which at least 246 people were killed. But, the exiled Islamic opponent denies any involvement in the aborted putsch.

Last August, Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir issued a decision to close all the businesses in the country linked to the Turkish opponent Fethullah Gulen who is accused of orchestrating a failed coup in July.

The decision was announced in a less than a week after a call by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the Sudanese authorities during his address by telephone to a rally organised in Khartoum in support of his government on Sunday 7 August.

The handing over ceremony took place on Sunday in the presence of the Turkish ambassador to Khartoum Jamal al-Din Aydin and Khartoum State minister of education Farah Mustafa.

Following the ceremony, Aydin praised Sudan’s stance towards the failed coup attempt, saying President al-Bashir was among the first to contact President Erdogan after the coup attempt.

He stressed that the pupils in the schools will continue their education as normal, saying no unjust measures would be taken against them.

It is noteworthy the Turkey’s ministry of education has established the Maarif (Education) Foundation to launch and manage schools abroad in order to limit the expansion of Gulen-linked schools network.

(ST)