Gulen Schools and operations closing worldwide #OrganizedCrime

UN Committee: Switzerland Shouldn’t Deport Turkish Couple to Kosovo

Hamdi Firat Buyuk and Xhorxhina Bami

Pristina, Sarajevo

BIRN

January 25, 202310:58

The UN Committee Against Torture said Switzerland should not deport a Turkish couple affiliated with exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen to Kosovo because there is a risk that they could be transferred to Turkey and face torture.

Mehmet Akif College students, holding banners and pictures of their teachers, protest the arrest and detention of Turkish citizens by the Kosovo authorities in Pristina, March 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE/PETRIT PRENAJ

The UN Committee Against Torture said in a decision that the Swiss government should not deport a Turkish couple who are alleged members of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen’s network to Kosovo because “they would face a real risk of being forcibly transferred to and subjected to torture in Turkey”.

The couple, who worked in Gulen-affiliated schools in Kosovo as teachers for years, applied for asylum in Switzerland in 2020 but their request was rejected by the Swiss authorities and it was decided that they should be deported to Kosovo.

But the UN committee said in its decision, which has been seen by BIRN, that under the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Switzerland has an obligation to refrain from forcibly returning the couple to Kosovo.

Turkey regards Gulen’s network as a terrorist organisation and has been actively seeking the arrest of its members at home and abroad.

Ali Yildiz, the couple’s lawyer who represented them at the UN committee, said Kosovo is not a safe country for Gulenists and the Swiss government breached the UN Convention Against Torture by deciding to deport them to Kosovo.

“The committee, which has already issued an interim measure to prevent deportations of the complainants, concluded that the Swiss authorities erred in their decisions,” Yildiz told BIRN.

Six Turkish nationals affiliated with Gulen’s network in Kosovo were deported to Turkey in 2018. The controversial deportations were condemned by rights groups and caused a political crisis in Kosovo.

Kosovo’s Ministry of Justice insisted however that “there have never been such extraditions from the Republic of Kosovo to the Republic of Turkey”. It argued that the Turks in 2018 were deported on the Interior Ministry’s instructions rather than extradited, as extradition requires a court ruling. The Interior Ministry and prime minister’s office did not respond to BIRN’s queries by the time of publication.

However, the UN committee said that its definition of deportation includes extraditions and forcible transfers.

It also said that there is a cause for additional concern because of Turkey’s influence in Kosovo, as the previous deportations of Gulenists happened “despite the instructions of the Chief Special Prosecutor of Kosovo, who had denied the extradition request for the individuals in question”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government accuse Gulen and his network of orchestrating a failed 2016 putsch and define the network as the ‘Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation’, or ‘FETO’ for short. However, Gulen denies any involvement.

A Kosovo parliamentary commission probing the highly controversial deportation of the six alleged Gulenists to Turkey in 2018 said that the deportation breached 31 Kosovo laws and procedures.

Switzerland: UN Committee decision not binding

Switzerland’s national flag and the European Union flag at the European Commission building in Brussels, April 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE/FRANCOIS WALSCHAERTS/POOL

A spokesperson for the Swiss State Secretariet for Migration told BIRN that the Swiss authorities do not provide information on specific cases, explaining that “this is prevented, among other things, by data and privacy protection”.

But it said that “unlike a decision of the European Court of Human Rights, the findings of the [UN] Committee Against Torture (CAT) are not binding under international law”.

The spokesperson said that in the past, Switzerland has mostly adhered to the recommendations and findings of the UN committee.

But the spokesperson added: “However, this doesn’t institute CAT’s communications as binding. The CAT itself also accepts that its findings are only declaratory in nature and do not create any obligation to amend asylum decisions.”

The spokesperson further stated that the UN committee’s approval of an individual complaint “does not constitute an independent ground for appeal”.

The UN committee said that Switzerland defended its decision to deport the Turkish couple by saying that if Kosovo transferred them to Turkey, “such a course of action would in fact be likely to jeopardise the proper functioning of bilateral cooperation with Switzerland, which is not in Kosovo’s interest”.

But lawyer Yildiz argued that “six Turkish people with Gulen movement links were forcibly repatriated from Kosovo and imprisoned in Turkey, and Turkey has great influence and leverage over Kosovo”.

Thousands of institutions – universities, schools, banks, media companies, NGOs and private firms – owned or run by alleged members of Gulen’s network have been seized in Turkey since the authorities crushed the attempted coup in 2016. Hundreds of thousands people were investigated, detained and prisoned due to their alleged ties to Gulen.

The Turkish government continues to press other countries to do the same.

So far, however, apart from a few states in Africa and Asia with autocratic governments, Gulen schools have continued to operate and most countries have resisted or ignored Ankara’s demands for extradition of Gulen followers, excluding Kosovo, Albania and Moldova in the south-east Europe region.

Republic of Georgia closes down another Gulen operated private school #GulenSchool

 

Georgia cracks down on another Gulen-linked private school

https://dfwatch.net/georgia-cracks-down-on-another-gulen-linked-private-school-54202

(Faqcebook.)

Georgia cracks on educational institutions linked to exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen again. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Education declined appeal by a private schooled linked to Turkish President Erdogan’s top foe.

The school named after Shota Rustaveli is located in Rustavi, about 20 km east from Tbilisi and is regarded by locals as one of the best in the city and its vicinity. The ministry revoked its license in May on technical reasons. However, as many believe in Georgia, the real reason behind this decision was political and is related to the long-time feud between former close allies, President Erdogan and Fethullah Gulen.

The school was a part of the Caglar Education Institutions, which includes several private schools throughout the country and Black Sea International University in Tbilisi.

“It wouldn‘t be the first time that an international school in Georgia with good reputation among students&parents loses its license but Georgian Ministry of Education doesn‘t give any concrete reasons,” wrote German MEP Rebecca Harms in her tweet Sunday.

“My concern is that the Georgian government has been influenced by Turkish government which may undermine Georgia’s democratic developments,” claims Tuba Cabuk whose spouse, a manager at Demirel College, another Gulen-linked educational institution, was arrested and spent months in prison awaiting deportation to Turkey but later released amid mounting pressure on Georgian government.

In 2018 Black Sea International University was prohibited from enrolling students for one year, which affected hundreds of students who had chosen to study at IBSU.

In 2017 the government revoked license of Sahin Friendship School, which had been regarded as one of the best private schools in Adjara.

Following the coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016, Ankara asked all states to close down schools associated with Gulen, who is accused of masterminding the coup.

Gulen-associated schools were taken over in Azerbaijan; a country with strong ties with Turkey. Also Tajikistan shut down its own Gulen schools last year. The same fate has been shared by similar institutions in several African countries.

Harun Celik deported back to Turkey by Albanian authorities

Albanian authorities on Wednesday deported Harun Çelik, a Turkish teacher at a school affiliated with the faith-based Gülen movement in Albania, to Turkey despite a court order releasing him from his five-month incarceration over an extradition request from Ankara. Çelik, 41, was reportedly arrested five months ago at Turkey’s request, but the court denied the extradition. According to Bold Medya, Çelik was released from prison on Wednesday evening, when the Albanian police picked him up for transport to Tirana’s Rinas International Airport. He had applied for asylum in the country five months ago, but officials have not yet proceeded with the request, the report said. Turkey had previously been able to bring Gülen-affiliated individuals back home without official extradition processes in Kosovo and Moldova. Turkish officials claim more than 100 Gülen followers have been brought back to the country since a failed 2016 coup. Ankara accuses the Gülen movement of orchestrating the coup, although it strongly denies https://www.turkishminute.com/2020/01/01/albania-to-deport-gulen-follower-at-turkeys-request-despite-court-rejection-of-extradition-report/?unapproved=33215&moderation-hash=66fa86b2a37f5bf9b486298ee0579a0e#comment-33215

Zambia Government transfers Gulen Horizon Schools to their ownership #GulenSchools

https://www.zambiawatchdog.com/horizon-schools-nationalised/b3e0d39f-f501-4a68-8121-7fa959bd6434/

HORIZON SCHOOL - RUMOURS AND TRUTHS

By Dickson Jere,

FOR the past three-days, stories have been trending on Horizon School of Lusaka. Rumors and half-baked truths continue to dominate discussions and yet the government - the custodian of the truth on this issue - remains quiet. Why? I have no idea!

Here is the truth about the Horizon School takeover.
The President of the Republic of Zambia Mr. Edgar Lungu has compulsorily acquired Horizon School in “public interest” using powers vested in him by the Lands Acquisition Act. In order to exercise this power, the President only has to demonstrate that it is in “public interest” to do so - and the owners will eventually be compensated by government as per law. They also have a right to challenge the President in the High Court for Zambia if they think the power has been exercised wrongly.

The next question is what prompted the President to takeover Horizon School. The rumors and innuendos that the land has been acquired in order to facilitate for a shopping mall is not true - at least from what I know. The acquisition has been made following a protracted international battle between the Turkish government and the allies of former Turkish President who is connected to the Fethullah Gulen Organisation. In short, the Turkish government is alleging that the owners of Horizon Schools all over the world are actively involved in terrorism - the accusation which is denied offcourse.

Let’s move to next step.
The Turkish government, through its Maarif Foundation, has opted to takeover all these Horizon Schools all over the world and kick out the alleged “terrorists”. Some governments have signed Bilateral Agreements with the Turkish government to takeover the schools and hand them to the Turkish Maarif Foundation. The government of Chad recently acquired the same schools and handed them over to Turkish government to run them. This is happening in so many countries.

What will happen to Horizon School in Zambia?
What I know is that the Maarif Foundation has asked to be allowed to continue running the school. Whether government will accept this offer or not, it is for the Ministers to explain. But what is true is that the school is not closing and the staff will be maintained either through the Ministry of Education or indeed the Turkish government. Surely government can explain this obvious position!

Will they build the shopping mall?

The answer is NO! There is no shopping mall coming to replace the school. And the school is also not going to close down. That is is what I know talking to government and Turkish officials. So why is government not explaining this simple roadmap to stakeholders? School Board chairman Leslie Mbula is right to speculate in the absence of information!

Lastly, the President is being accused of having personal interest in the matter. On this one, I can defend him. I do not think he has any personal interest given the fact that this an ongoing international battle. This is more of a foreign policy issue of the country. It is an international battle that has sadly entered our jurisdiction and those in power have the responsibility to deal with it - rightly or wrongly!

I hope there will be a detailed statement from government to explain what this debacle is all about. The longer it takes for government to respond, the more the people will believe the rumours. In a digital world, quick response is the best!

Court in Kyrgyzstan overturns decision made to extradite 2 people #GulenSchools

https://thediplomat.com/2019/12/turkey-seeks-extradition-of-2-gulen-school-employees-from-kyrgyzstan/?fbclid=IwAR3GJOXILtO6c5KFKGLpS-TRAFU_Fl1P7_tEhdqKIZ29bbbObFQ-VujeK8s

Previously posted on Kyrgyz here 
Click Here

A court in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, reportedly overturned a decision made by the Prosector General’s Office to extradite two people — presumably Turkish citizens — back to Turkey on account of their connection to Fethullah Gulen’s movement. 

According to RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service, locally known as Azattyk, two employees of the Sapat school network, Senan Yilmaz and Sanjar Abdulhakim, have been in pre-trial detention at a State Committee for National Security (GKNB) facility. As reported by 24.kg, they are “accused of complicity in an illegal armed group and membership in an armed terrorist organization in Turkey.”

Since 2016, the Turkish government has hounded those associated, however distantly, with Gulen. Ankara has accused U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen of plotting the apparent coup attempted on July 15, 2016. Once upon a time Gulen was a stalwart ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan but those days are long past.

As I wrote in 2018, “Gulen founded a movement which has, among other things, built and staffed hundreds of schools around the world. Once a key aspect of Turkish soft power, these schools have become lightning rods in Turkey’s various contemporary bilateral relationships.”

The network of Turkish schools in Kyrgyzstan, known previously as Sebat lyceums, were renamed and reregistered in 2017 but not closed as they are considered some of the best schools in the country. Top officials send their children to the prestigious schools. The Kyrgyz Ministry of Education in 2018 rebuffed comments from the Turkish ambassador that a Turkish foundation was about to take the network over, saying the schools were under Kyrgyz government control.

Fatih Keskin to be extradited to Turkey to face crimes of money laundering, operation of FETO Bosnia Terror cell #Gulen

https://zamanaustralia.com/en/2019/12/04/gulen-linked-teacher-detained-in-bosnia-waiting-to-be-deported/

The local police in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday detained for deportation a Turkish national with permanent residency upon a request from Ankara on allegations of membership of the faith-based Gülen movement, the Bold Medya news website reported.

Fatih Keskin, the principal of Una-Sana College, an institute operating within the Gülen-affiliated Richmond Park Schools Group, was invited to a police station in Bihać city by the Ministry of Interior of the Una-Sana Canton, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency reported, citing local media.

Soon after being taken into custody, Keskin was transferred to a detention center for migrants in the capital city of Sarajevo to start the deportation process, Anadolu said.

The move came hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hinted at new operations to capture Gülenists living in Europe before he left for London to attend a summit.

Ankara accuses Fethullah Gülen, a US-based cleric in a self-exile, of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt, a claim that is strongly denied by the movement.

The foreign affairs department of the Bihac Ministry of Security revoked the residency permits of four Turkish nationals in September, following the Turkish government’s extradition request according to Anadolu. The case was then taken to a local court.

Keskin’s lawyer, Nedim Ademovic, confirmed that his client, who has been living in the country for more than 14 years with his family, was detained by the Bosnian authorities.

Keskin told Bold on the phone that he was being kept in a detention center in Sarajevo where refugees are held for deportation.

“I was invited to the police station at around 10 a.m. in Bihac and was told I had violated the rules in Bosnia; hence my residency was revoked. When I asked which rules I had violated, the officers said they did not even know,” Keskin said.

He said two police officers transported him to Sarajevo, refusing to show any official documentation and denying him time to meet with his lawyer.

“They did not let me call my lawyer. ‘If you resist, we will handcuff you,’ the two police officers told me.”

In March 2018 Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) with the cooperation of Kosovar authorities detained six Turkish nationals, who were then taken to Turkey, where they were arrested.

As of March 2019, a total of 107 people with alleged links to the movement have been brought to Turkey since the failed 2016 coup, following extradition requests for 504 people sent to 91 countries, Anadolu reported.

https://balkaninsight.com/2019/12/04/bosnian-arrest-of-gulenist-school-head-sparks-extradition-fears/

Bosnian police have arrested the head of a school linked to the arch-foe of Turkey’s powerful president, raising fears that Turkey’s long arm is behind the detention.

Fatih Keskin, director of Richmond Park Schools in Bihac in northwest Bosnia, was arrested on Tuesday after his permanent residence permit was revoked for unknown reasons apparently related to national security.

Harun Tursanovic, Richmond Park Schools Public Relations Officer, confirmed to BIRN that Keskin had been arrested and was currently in a detention centre in Lukavica, Eastern Sarajevo.

“The arrest is full of irregularities,” he said. “First, he was called to visit the police Station in Una-Sava Canton … and there told that his residence permit was revoked.

“He was also forced to sign some documents and when he refused was brought to Sarajevo,” Tursanovic told BIRN.

Tursanovic said he suspected the Turkish government’s role in the process.

This is because Bosnia – like other Balkan countries – has come under strong pressure from Ankara to extradite alleged “Gulenists” – followers of the exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, a hate figure for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“This was a surprising move for us, as Keskin had a permanent residence permit,” Tursanovic noted.

“The Service for Foreigners’ Affairs, SPS, had previously told us that all those with permanent resident permits would not have any problems over Turkish demands – but now this is happening. The unusual process hints at the role of an outsider effect, which is the Turkish government in this case,” Tursanovic said.

A lawyer, Nedim Ademovic who is defending 10 of the people on Erdogan’s list, met Keskin and officials from the SPS on Wednesday morning.

“We were told that Keskin’s residence permit was revoked for reasons related to national security. They avoided giving us solid reasons,” Tursanovic said.

Previously, after the resident permits of four Turkish citizens who were on Erdogan’s list were revoked for similar reasons, the courts stopped the decision.

“We will challenge the decision and we hope that the courts will deliver justice,” Tursanovic added.

SPS Director Slobodan Ujic confirmed on December 3 that Keskin had been detained.

“The SPS is not doing something for nothing. We had operational data and will interview [him] and further verify the data,” he said.

“Other security agencies are involved. It is not simple,” Ujic told Klix.ba, refusing to give out any other details about Keskin’s arrest for operational reasons.

But Tursanovic said that, because of this, other teachers working for the school chain no longer feel safe, calling the decision very concerning.

The Turkish government accuses Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the US, of being behind a failed coup attempt in 2016. He has denied this.

But since the failed coup, Ankara has referred to Gulen’s movement as the Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation or FETO for short.

Since then, Ankara has arrested tens of thousands of people, fired hundreds of thousands from public service jobs and closed down thousands of companies, NGOs and educational institutions because of their alleged links with the “FETO”.

Erdogan’s government has also exerted maximum pressure on Balkan states to hand over alleged Gulenists and to close down any institution related to the cleric’s movement.

Most have resisted the call for extraditions, but the Turkish intelligence agency was involved in two operations to rendition so-called Gulenists from Kosovo and Moldova, which sparked political rows in both countries.

Bosnian media reported that Erdogan delivered a list of alleged Gulenist to his Bosnian counterparts, demanding their extradition, on his recent visit to Bosnia in July.

Keskin had been living in Bosnia for more than 15 years, working as a teacher and school director. He was reportedly not on Erdogan’s list but could still face extradition.

Richmond Park Schools, formerly known as Bosna Sema Schools, is currently owned by a British educational firm. It runs 14 schools including a university in Sarajevo.

Zehra Kanter Keskin wife of Fatih Keskin pleads for her
Criminal husband on Social Media ....and no one cares.

http://ba.n1info.com/English/NEWS/a395556/Wife-of-arrested-Turkish-citizen-I-fear-for-my-husband-s-safety.html

The wife of Richmond Park Schools principal Fatih Keskin, a Turkish citizen who was residing in Bosnia for the past 20 years and was taken to a yet unknown location on Tuesday after speaking to police in the northwestern Una-Sana Canton, said in a video posted online that she fears for her husband’s safety.

“I am the wife of Fatih Keskin, who was illegally taken to Sarajevo today after speaking to the police. My husband has been working in education in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 15 years and he tries to contribute in every way to this country, which he sees as his homeland,”  Zehra Kantar Keskin said in a video she posted on social media on Wednesday.

https://www.dailysabah.com/war-on-terror/2019/12/04/bosnia-detains-feto-school-administrator-preparing-to-extradite-to-turkey

DAILY SABAH WITH AA ISTANBUL Published 04.12.2019 19:32 Bosnia-Herzegovina detained an administrator in one of the schools run by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) in the country, Bosnian media outlets reported on Tuesday. Fatih Keskin, who is from Turkey, was the manager of a FETÖ high school in Bihac province. He was detained on Tuesday after being called by the police to give his testimony. Following the detention, Keskin was reportedly transferred to a migration center to launch his extradition process to Turkey. While police forces of the province have not released an official statement on the issue, Nedim Ademovic, a lawyer for some FETÖ fugitives that Turkey wants extradited, confirmed the detention. Ademovic said that Keskin has lived in Bosnia for more than 20 years with his family. Anadolu Agency reported that the high school that Keskin was working at was initially known as "Una-Sana College" under the Bosna Sema Education Institutions. However, later on, the school was transferred to the English Richmond Park Schools on paper and renamed the "Richmond Park Bihac College." With a debt of more than 2.5 million euros ($2.88 million), property owned by the FETÖ-linked Richmond Park Schools is being sold off by the bank after the loan agreement was violated, said the weekly Bosnian magazine Stav in 2018. With this development, the educational institution has reportedly twice changed ownership since the 2016 defeated coup attempt but failed to inform the bank. The magazine said fighting such FETÖ-linked institutions is not just a Turkish effort against the terror group but a domestic problem as long as the same structures operate in Bosnia-Herzegovina and try to indoctrinate children with a "sick" ideology. FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated a coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016, killing 251 people and injuring nearly 2,200 others in the process. FETÖ also has a considerable presence outside of Turkey, including private educational institutions that serve as revenue streams for the terrorist group. FETÖ has a considerable presence abroad, particularly in the U.S., where it runs a chain of charter schools that are also a huge source of income for the terrorist group. The terrorist group relies on a global network of schools and businesses for new recruits, lobbying and financing its activities. Turkey says

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/bosnia-detains-head-of-feto-terror-group-run-school/1662946

Keskin later was detained at the station and then transferred to an immigration center for deportation proceedings, presumably to Turkey.

While there was no official statement yet from local police, attorney Nedim Ademovic confirmed Keskin's detention.

Ademovic said that Keskin has been living in Bosnia and Herzegovina with his family for more than 20 years.

The high school in the city of Bihac was operated under the name Una-Sana College, and later was renamed Richmond Park Bihac College.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup on July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Turkey also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

FETO also has a considerable presence outside Turkey, including private educational institutions that serve as a revenue stream for the terrorist group.

Since the defeated coup attempt, Turkey has pressed European countries for the extradition of FETO suspects, and has expressed frustration over the lack of cooperation by many countrie

Sibel Edmonds Presents: Gulen & Concocting The Flynn Scandal: A Clinton-...

Mueller has been protecting the Gulen Movement since he
was head of FBI 2001.  No one familiar with Muellers history
of defending the Gulen Movement was surprised he stepped into the
the Turkey Gate and it became a FAKE Russian Hoax with no proof