Turkey urges Ethiopia to close FETO-linked schools

By Seleshi Tessema

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) – Turkey's ambassador to Ethiopia on Wednesday urged the Ethiopian government to consider the schools linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) as "a security threat" that poses a problem in bilateral relations.

The remarks by Yaprak Alp came in a gathering of the representatives of Turkish agencies and guests held in the capital Addis Ababa to mark the fourth anniversary of the July 15, 2016 defeated coup.

She said the gathering commemorates the unity of Turkish nation, democracy and martyrs.

"On this day we ask the Ethiopian government with whom we have an excellent relation to see FETO as a serious security threat," she said. "The terrorist organization has schools in Ethiopia, and this is the only problem we have."

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

Turkey is one of the biggest investors in the Horn of African country with an investment capital of $2.5 billion and employing more than 30,000 Ethiopian workers.