Turkey to close over 1,000 FETO-linked schools

By Selma Kasap

ANKARA

Turkey’s Ministry of National Education will close more than 1,500 educational institutions, including private schools, private dormitories, the ministry said Friday.

The Ministry announced that 936 private schools, 449 private dormitories, 284 other educational institutions will be closed within the scope of the violation of constitutional order.

As part of the probe against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the Ministry of Education had already announced that 21,738 of its civil servants had been relieved from their duties, 21,029 of which were teachers.

The ministry has already sent an official order to close all of Turkey’s provincial directorates for national education.

Many students who are studying in these schools will be transferred to other private or public schools, the ministry added.

The ministry had already closed 800 FETO-linked schools before the July 15 coup attempt while Turkey’s courts had decided to appoint trustees for 250 private schools and 600 other educational institutions linked to U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen.

Turkey's government has repeatedly said the deadly coup attempt on July 15, which martyred at least 246 people and injured more than 2,100 others, was organized by followers of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen.

Gulen is also accused of 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'.

* Hatice Kesgin contributed to this report from Ankara.