By Agnes Szucs
BRUSSELS (AA) – Belgium’s top university on Wednesday decided to drop a research chair linked to the leader of the terror group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.
KU Leuven University announced it would not renew the contract for the academic position linked to Fetullah Gulen, the ringleader of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), due to declining interest.
“The university decided to not renew the expiring contract because there was dropping turnout at events organized by this intercultural dialogue platform,” the university’s press office told Anadolu Agency.
Due to KU Leuven’s political ties with FETO, since 2017 Turkey has refused to recognize diplomas issued by the university.
“When deciding on whether or not to host a specific chair, KU Leuven does not allow itself to be put under pressure,” the institution added in a statement.
In Turkey, FETO and its US-based leader Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup on 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, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
Besides a network of FETO-run schools around the world, acting as a cash cow for the terror group, FETO has also set up or sponsored events and groups designed to mask the group’s true nature.
Turkey has warned governments worldwide to beware of FETO terrorist infiltration, saying they pose a threat to every country they are in, just as they tried to topple Turkey’s elected government.