Turkey seeks closure of Gülen schools in India: report


Turkey requested the New Delhi administration to close schools linked to the Gülenist terror cult, the Hindu newspaper reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, Turkey's ambassador to Mumbai, Erdal Sabri Ergen sent a letter to the India's interior ministry to call for the immediate closure of the schools linked to FETÖ across the country.

Ergen also provided a list of names of the schools, underlining that those educational institutions pose a threat to both Turkey and India."In the aftermath of the coup attempt in Turkey, we have found some connection in Mumbai and India of perpetrators. Gülen's terror organisation has network worldwide including India. They provide money and support to overall organisation [of Gülen]. Every such institution must be closed," Ergen told reporters Monday.

At least nine schools, several think tanks and civil society organizations led by FETÖ are operational in India.

"They should be put under microscope. This is an illegal network with a sinister design in mind. The institutions connected with the network are there in Mumbai. We believe the Indian authorities already had that information. We have given a lot of documents and provided evidence," Ergen said."Turkey has approached the ministry and we are currently looking into the matter," a senior Indian diplomatic source confirmed toThe Hindu.

Military troops loyal to the government, along with police units and millions of Turkish citizens, succeeded in quelling a coup attempt, launched by a small military junta linked to the Gülenist terror-cult, starting from mid-afternoon on July 15.

As a result of the attempted coup, 246 people were killed most of whom were civilians, including at least 60 police officers, while 1.440 others were injured. Some 104 pro-coup figures were also killed.

Turkey's government has repeatedly said the deadly coup attempt, which killed more than 230 people and injured nearly 2,200 others, was organized by U.S.-based figure Fetullah Gülen's followers and the Gülenist terror-cult.

Gülen is also accused of running a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state.