Turkey has extended its coup clampdown to Nigeria requesting
for Turkish Nigerian schools in various states be shut down due to an alleged
involvement by funders of the school over their
involvement in the failed coup
attempt which had claimed over 200 lives. Turkish Government says they had
nothing to do with the schools.
The Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Hakan Cakil, made the
remark when the vice chairman, Senate Committee
on Foreign Affairs, Shehu Sani, paid him a courtesy visit. He alerted Nigerians
about the funders of the schools which his government says was involved in the
July 15 failed coup attempt in Turkey calling on the Nigerian Government to
close 17 Turkish schools in Nigeria for their alleged links with the movement.
According to the ambassador, investigations by the Turkish
government showed that a movement led by US-based Fethullah Gulen was
responsible for the failed coup attempt, which claimed over 200 lives. He said
the Turkish government was dissociating itself from any school bearing the
country’s name in Nigeria, adding that while the country had schools in other
countries, it had none in Nigeria.
“We are requesting the Nigerian Government to close down the
schools. I have requested officially, both orally and in writing,
the closure of these schools. Also, I have sent a letter to Mr Geoffrey Onyeama
(Foreign Minister) and Mr Abba Kyari (Chief of Staff to the President) about
this subject and requested their support for the closure of the schools.
“I will also send letters to the Chairmen of Committees on
Foreign Affairs in the National Assembly as well as the Senate Majority Leader
over the issue and I am going to enclose some documents in English on how the
group members are engaged in the army, police and the Judiciary. In Nigeria, there are 17 schools, which belong to the Gulen
Movement, one in Kano, one in Kaduna, one in Abuja, Lagos etc and they are
offering scholarships.'' he said.
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