Turkey calls on Mongolia to hand over FETO schools

By Tevfik Durul

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia

Turkey’s deputy prime minister on Wednesday urged Mongolia to deal with the threat of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) schools in the country, saying that the terror group endangers friendly bilateral ties.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkey, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

In the capital Ulaanbaatar as part of his official visit to the country, Hakan Cavusoglu urged his Mongolian counterpart U. Enkhtuvshin to hand over FETO schools to Turkey’s Maarif Foundation, saying, “The presence of these schools [in Mongolia] could poison bilateral ties.”

Turkey established the Maarif Foundation in 2016 to take over the administration of overseas schools linked to FETO. It also establishes schools and education centers abroad.

Cavusoglu warned that the terror group poses a huge threat to Mongolia.

“People graduating from these schools are placed in public institutions and become individuals who will serve a parallel state structure,” said Cavusoglu, adding that such people would take action after getting instructions from their ringleader, Fetullah Gulen, who is living in the U.S.

Enkhtuvshin thanked Cavusoglu for his “sincere warnings,” and said that Mongolia would do the necessary work to hand over these schools to the Maarif Foundation and treat the process with due care.