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Moroccan Authorities Decide to Close Fethullah Gulen Schools | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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In response to the request that Turkey made to the Moroccan authorities regarding private schools belonging to the Gulen movement that are located in a number of Moroccan cities, the Ministry of Interior has decided to close all Mohamed Al-Fatih educational institutions within a month, starting from Thursday (yesterday).

The ministry said in a statement that the results of investigations carried out by competent authorities into establishments of the Mohamed Al-Fatih group, linked to Turkish national Fethullah Gulen, showed they use education to spread the group’s ideology and ideas contrary to the principles of the Moroccan educational and religious system”.

The Ministry of Interior added that based on the results of the investigation and after the officials of the schools have not responded to the alerts from the Ministry of Education as the ministry in charge of the educational system in Morocco”…“the ministry has decided to shut down all institutions that are under the auspices of Gulen”.

The Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training said that students who had been studying at establishments of the Mohamed Al-Fatih group would be given places in other schools so that they would not have to repeat the current academic year.

An official from the Turkish Embassy in Rabat said in a previous statement that was reported on by national and international media that “after the attempted coup in Turkey failed, the Turkish embassy provided the Moroccan Ministry of Interior with information about establishments affiliated with the Fethullah Gulen group in the kingdom hoping that it would take appropriate action against these establishments”.

The Chargé d’Affaires of the Turkish Embassy in Rabat Ibrahim Khalil Sakli announced in mid-July last year that “The Gulen group which stands behind the failed coup attempt in Turkey, has institutions in Morocco,” and that “we have contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here”.