Turkey to establish foundation to curb Gülenist clout abroad
by Daily Sabah
ISTANBULMay 25, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Daily Sabah
May 25, 2016 12:00 am
In a new bid to quell the Gülenist clout abroad, Ankara will establish an official entity to counter the Gülen Movement's global network of schools. The Maarif Foundation, named after an Ottoman Turkish word for education, which comes from the Arabic word for knowledge or wisdom, will be founded by the Ministry of National Education to establish schools around the world which will serve as alternatives to the schools run by members of the shady movement who now face terrorism charges.
The foundation will address the educational needs of the Turkish community abroad, offering Turkish-style education in other countries at the same time that Gülenists face an increased crackdown. Despite already being charged with two attempts to overthrow the government, members of the movement have managed to maintain their international presence in the schools, which were established by former preacher, Fethullah Gülen. Critics say the schools serve as a mill for recruiting new followers. After the Gülenists' involvement in the 2013 coup attempt, Ankara moved to shut down all schools affiliated with Gülen abroad, calling on its international allies to close the schools, citing terrorism charges filed in Turkish courts against members of the movement. According to reports, 21 Gülen-affiliated schools in Pakistan will be closed, while Tajikistan announced closure of schools after the coup attempt in 2013. Gülenist schools in Azerbaijan were also closed.
A draft bill for the establishment of the Maarif Foundation is awaiting approval in parliament which will grant the foundation the authority to establish grade schools and universities abroad. Schools that are already being run by the Turkish state overseas are expected to be handed over to the Maarif Foundation which currently has a budget of TL 1 million. The foundation will be authorized to grant scholarships and open dormitories for students abroad.
The Gülen Movement has seen its members and sympathizers purged from state institutions, local police and the judiciary. The movement has already been designated a "national threat" by authorities, classifying it as a terrorist organization. Gülenists are accused of illegally wiretapping thousands of people ranging from the prime minister to journalists and prominent figures. Infiltrators are also accused of framing their critics for crimes they did not commit and taking opponents to sham trials in efforts to silence anyone seen as an obstacle to the Gülen Movement. Members of the movement have exploited affiliates in local law enforcement, the judiciary and the upper echelons of bureaucracy. Hundreds of generals, academics and dignitaries have been detained for years on trumped-up charges accused of staging coups. The charges have been deemed based on false evidence planted by Gülen's infiltrators in law enforcement.
In the U.S., Gülenists are primarily invested in charter schools which receive government funding but operate independent of the public school system. Dozens of schools associated with the retired preacher and his followers face criticism and legal investigations over the alleged misuse of federal grants, as well as the abuse of the visa system, using it to funnel Turkish teachers into the U.S. to teach in the charter schools.
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