FETO terror group faces dire straits in North Macedonia

By Adnan Idriz and Furkan Abdula

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Organizations linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) in North Macedonia are facing tough times as a result of Turkey's efforts against the group, which in 2016 launched a defeated coup against Turkey.

The FETO terrorist group is trying to maintain its presence in the fields of education and the media in the Western Balkan countries.

But financial difficulties and a lack of demand from the local community as well as Turkey's active efforts have caused them great difficulties.

Although FETO-affiliated institutions such as Yahya Kemal College and the Zaman Macedonia newspaper in North Macedonia are still active, locals who learned about the bloody terrorist organization withdraw their children from the schools, stopped buying the paper, and ended their business deals.

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 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.

- Dwindling enrollment at FETO schools

Due to dwindling enrollment, FETO-affiliated schools moved their offices and vacated one of its school buildings.

Its billboards for Yahya Kemal College in the center of the capital Skopje were taken down at the initiative of Halkbank Skopje, replaced by signs for Turkey’s Maarif Foundation and Halkbank itself.

Turkey established the Maarif Foundation in 2016 to assume the administration of overseas schools linked to FETO, which the group uses as a revenue stream. It also establishes more schools and education centers abroad.

Yahya Kemal College also has schools in the cities of Tetovo and Gostivar, but as there were few students left in Gostivar, they are transported to Tetovo every day.

Turkish teachers working at FETO-linked schools are reportedly working with expired passports and residence permits.

Meanwhile, fugitive FETO-linked Turks are illegally sending their children to FETO-linked schools.

The FETO-affiliated schools in North Macedonia also do not allow children or teachers to wear headscarves, even though there is no such law to that effect.

-Paper out of print

In addition to Yahya Kemal College, another FETO-affiliated institution facing financial woes is the Zaman Macedonia newspaper.

At the end of February, Zaman Macedonia ceased print publication.

The decision was prompted by Turkey’s efforts against FETO, declining sales, and financial difficulties.

Zaman Macedonia will move its operation online to social media, according to a statement on its website.

In 2018, the Macedonian government approved direct funding for 11 newspapers, including Zaman Macedonia, which received €14,700 ($16,795).

The decision was announced by State Minister Robert Popovski at a press conference.

Earlier, a group of people in the country protested the financial support for the newspaper.

Even though government officials repeatedly expressed their support for Turkey’s fight against the terrorist group FETO, their support seemingly did not go beyond words, and included no active measures.