The Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) members deported by Pakistan have moved to Ethiopia, a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy has confirmed.
"FETÖ is still active in Ethiopia. FETÖ members, who fled Pakistan after their schools were handed over to the Maarif Foundation, have moved to Ethiopia," said Mehmet Ali Cevheri, an AK Party deputy from southeastern Turkey's Şanlıurfa.
In December 2018, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled and directed the Interior Ministry to declare FETÖ-linked Pak-Turk International Cag Education Foundation (PTICEF) a "proscribed organization" and include its name in the list of terror outfits.
It also directed financial institutions to immediately freeze bank accounts of FETÖ-linked foundations and handover custody of their assets to the Maarif Foundation.
All 28 FETÖ-affiliated schools in Pakistan have been handed over to Maarif Foundation. Also in April, the Supreme Court rejected a petition for a final review on the 2018 verdict.
The Maarif foundation was created by Turkey's Ministry of National Education with the purpose of providing educational services abroad. It now runs schools that used to belong to FETÖ in the past.
Cevheri said that Turkey should take more initiative regarding FETÖ presence in Ethiopia. "The Ethiopian people stood with the democratically elected Turkish government during July 15, 2016, coup attempt, perpetrated by the [FETÖ] terrorist organization. FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the defeated July 15 coup in Turkey which killed 251 people and injured 2,200.
FETÖ was behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the Turkish government through the infiltration of state institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
