Turkiye wants Nigeria to clamp down on Gülen movement activities

The Turkish government says that members of a group it calls the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) exist in Nigeria, and also operate in other countries around the world.

Mehmet Poroy, Turkish ambassador-designate to Nigeria, disclosed this on Tuesday night in Abuja at a dinner organised by the Turkish Embassy to mark the country’s Democracy and National Unity Day.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ceremony is held annually to mark the 15 July 2016 failed coup in Türkiye, which was allegedly orchestrated by FETO.

The Turkish government said the coup was successfully quelled by the collective resistance of its patriotic forces and citizens, who resisted the mutiny against the government of President Recep Erdoğan.

According to Mr Poroy, members of the Gülen movement, which allegedly sponsored the coup, are still being captured and arrested globally; hence their presence in any country poses a serious national threat.

“They are still being captured and arrested today. The presence of such an organisation poses a threat to every country in which it operates.

“Unfortunately, the FETO terrorist organisation still maintains its activities in Nigeria, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare.

“We consistently inform our Nigerian friends about the nature and dangers of this organisation, and urge them to remain vigilant and cautious,” Poroy said.

The Turkish envoy said that, through international cooperation, Turkiye has been able to successfully disrupt many FETO cells and networks operating in allied countries around the world.

According to him, numerous institutions, especially schools that form part of FETO’s international network, have been taken over by Turkish institutions.

He, however, stressed that the group’s international structures have not been fully dismantled globally.

“The fact that new investigations and arrests into the organisation continue to be launched demonstrates the need for this struggle to be pursued with unwavering determination.

“In several countries, including Nigeria, FETO continues to pump its operations under the presence of humanitarian aid, education, healthcare, and interfaith dialogue.

“You must not forget that behind this humanitarian appearance lies an organisation that seeks to infiltrate the political and bureaucratic institutions of host countries,” Mr Poroy warned.

NAN reports that the Gülen movement (known as Hizmet or Service in Turk language) is a transnational, religious, educational, and social organisation, founded in late 1950s.

Its founder, Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish Islamic scholar, died as a Turkish fugitive in October 2024 at the age of 83, in Pennsylvania, United States.

The Turkish government accused Mr Gülen of masterminding the 2016 bloody coup, which claimed at least 251 lives, and has officially designated the group as a global terrorist organisation.

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Nine years after the coup, Türkiye has continued its aggressive global campaign against the group, saying it still operates worldwide, although the group has denied the terrorism tag.

Türkiye has been engaged in a massive global crackdown on the group, seizing or freezing billions of dollars of Gülen-linked assets and institutions, including schools, universities, foundations, associations, and companies.

NAN also reports that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and countries like Pakistan and Northern Cyprus have designated FETO as a terrorist organisation.

(NAN)