ISTANBUL – The Gülen Movement, which is waging war against the government, continues its anti-government campaign in schools and dormitories run by the movement. The number of students forced to leave dormitories or quit due to disagreement with widespread propaganda in the cities of Kahramanmaraş, Malatya, Gaziantep, Adıyaman and Kayseri in southeastern and central Turkey reached 2,625 in one week.

The General Directorate of Higher Education Credit and Dormitories Agency (KYK) has announced that over 5,000 students left Gülenist dormitories in recent months and moved to state-run dormitories. Along with state-run dormitories, private dormitories help students that had to leave Gülenist dormitories in the middle of the semester, offering some students free accommodation.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged parents last week not to send their children to Gülenist-run dormitories. The government also proposed different housing alternatives for students: They can move to vacant rooms in state dormitories. The government can rent private dormitory rooms to accommodate students.

If the students' accommodation needs continue, rooms in social facilities in cities and hotels will be allocated for those students and the government will cover the costs.

Students claim they are forced by the movement's devotees in the dormitories to watch anti- government documentaries and send tweets defaming the government.

The Gülen Movement, led by controversial imam Fethullah Gülen, openly challenged the AK Party government with a coup attempt Dec. 17, seeking to discredit the government. The movement runs a wide network of dormitories and private schools in Turkey and abroad.