Ethiopia: FETO terror group afloat with German support

By Tufan Aktas

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - An official letter obtained by Anadolu Agency has revealed that Germany has officially been supporting operations of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) in Ethiopia.

A letter written and officially sealed by the German Embassy in Addis Ababa in May 2017 vouches for the FETO-linked investment group named Kaynak.

The then Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn had directed relevant authorities, including trade and education ministries as well as the country's investment commission, to revoke the license of Kaynak due to its ties to the terror group.

Desalegn's office also directed the Education Ministry to transfer six schools owned by the FETO to Turkey’s Maarif Foundation.

The schools were not transferred to the foundation.

The letter which was signed by diplomat Jutta Luig stresses that Kaynak -- which also manages FETO schools in Ethopia -- promotes investments by German companies and businesses in the country and asks Ethiopian officials to provide all necessary convenience to them.

"German citizens have recently purchased a company called Kaynak Educational and Medical Services based in Addis Ababa. We kindly ask all involved authorities to support our investors wherever possible,” the letter reads.

-Terror group strips schools for cash

Recently, former employees of Ethiopian FETO-linked schools filed a complaint against school administrators and teachers on allegations including the theft of aid money, embezzlement, and tax evasion.

Last year, shortly after the Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome said the FETO-linked schools -- renamed as Intellectual Schools -- would be handed to the Turkish government, the schools were sold to a German citizen, whom they claimed was an investor.

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

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

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