Turkey's Maarif supports Ethiopia in combatting virus

By Tufan Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey's educational Maarif Foundation put its campus in Ethiopia into the service of the local government to help its fight against the deadly coronavirus.

Dormitory, cafeteria and health facility buildings of the campus in the eastern Harar city were transferred to the Harar administration to be used to quarantine and treat patients during the outbreak, the foundation said.

The campus, which will become a health center if any COVID-19 case is reported in the state, will contribute to the healthcare service in the region.

In Ethiopia, where strict measures were taken to stem the pandemic, 131 cases have been recorded and the country has confirmed three fatalities from the virus which has spread to at least 187 countries and regions after originating in China last December. Europe and the US are currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed more than 239,000 people, with total infections nearly 3.36 million, while more than 1 million have recovered, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

The Turkish government set up the Maarif Foundation soon after the 2016 defeated coup to administer overseas schools linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

The foundation established schools and education centers across Africa and Asia.

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

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