All educational institutions linked to the Gülenist Terrorist Group (FETÖ) in Kyrgyzstan have been transferred to the Turkish Maarif Foundation, Kyrgyzstan said Tuesday.
A statement by the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers said the decision was announced during a meeting between its Deputy Chair Edil Baisalov and the Turkish Maarif Foundation's Kyrgyzstan Coordinator Hüsnü Bircan.
"This decision is based on ensuring the best interests of the (Kyrgyz) Republic's pupils and students and the well-deserved reputation of the foundation as a reliable partner in the field of education," the statement said.
Bircan said the foundation aims to attract “major investments” to develop the educational infrastructure in Kyrgyzstan in the coming months.
“The school network must be expanded, modern technologies and education programs must be introduced and new opportunities must be created for students,” Bircan said.
FETÖ-linked education institutions began operations in Kyrgyzstan under the name of SEBAT ("patience") first in 1992. When Türkiye began cracking down on the terrorist group, FETÖ changed the name to SAPAT, meaning “quality.”
FETÖ orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 wounded in Türkiye.
Türkiye accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
The colossal school network run by FETÖ around the world, from Central Asia to Africa and from Europe to the U.S., is one of the primary businesses of the terrorist group.
In African countries with more arbitrary legal structures and Western ones with strict institutionalized law, the education business has been a lucrative gateway to building an economic powerhouse for FETÖ and its profiteering businesspeople.
The economic value of the terrorist group, which has been nurtured with a transnational network of trading companies and businesses, was estimated to be around $25 billion in 2012.
After the 2016 coup attempt, Türkiye established the Maarif Foundation to assume the administration of schools linked to the group overseas. The foundation also oversees schools and education centers abroad.
Ankara has worked in close cooperation with many nations in helping expose terrorist activity, shut down or take over schools and freeze bank accounts and assets. However, the terrorists still maintain a persistent presence in dozens of countries, the most notable of which is the U.S. where ringleader Fetullah Gülen was sheltered until his death earlier in October.
