Turkish foundation 'eliminates' FETO's lobby in Africa

Transferring of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO)-linked schools to Turkey's Maarif Foundation has "eliminated" the terrorist group's lobby in Africa, an official said.

Maarif Foundation is the only institution authorized to open schools on behalf of Turkey abroad.

It has been tasked to take over schools abroad operated by the FETO following the last year's coup attempt.

The FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

In an interview with Anadolu Agency on Tuesday, Ambassador Hasan Yavuz, deputy chairman of the Maarif Foundation, said the organization has tackled the global powers supporting the FETO-linked schools.

"We told Guinean bureaucrats 'the FETO is as dangerous and coward to us as Boko Haram and Al-Shabab is to you'," he said, adding the schools in Guinea were first to transfer FETO-linked schools to the foundation.

Since his appointment in the foundation, Yavuz said he has made official visits to 33 countries in the continent. Maarif Foundation launched transferring process in a "solution-oriented way and not in a colonialist manner," he added.

He informed there are FETO-linked schools in 36 of 54 countries across the continent, noting the foundation has completely taken over the schools in five countries.

Ankara accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

- NEGOTIATIONS
The foundation official further said agreements have been made with 14 other countries to transfers the schools, and negotiations are in progress with seven other countries in the continent.

Nine FETO-linked schools in Guinea with 1,000 students, were the first to be transferred to the foundation.

Eight schools with 1,200 students in Nigeria as well as three schools with 200 students in Congo were also transferred to the foundation.

Five schools in Sudan and two schools in Somalia were also amongst the FETO-linked schools transferred to the Maarif Foundation.

Eighteen schools in Mali, 14 schools in Cameroon, 14 schools in Senegal and eight schools in Burkina Faso are soon to be transferred to the foundation.

Eight schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo, three in Mauritania, four each in Chad and Gabon are amongst the FETO-linked schools set to be transferred to the foundation, the official said.

According to the official, the foundation continues its negotiations with some other countries in Africa, where FETO activities are still ongoing.

With that respect, 12 schools in Central African Republic, three schools each in Benin and Ivory Coast are amongst the ones yet to be transferred to the foundation.

The number of FETO-linked schools in Uganda, Ethiopia and Gana are yet to be identified.

Yavuz said the Maarif Foundation would hold talks with the officials in Equatorial Guinea, Comoros Islands, the Seychelles and Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi.