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Turkey demands shutting down of Gulen-run schools

By Mariana Baabar
August 03, 2016

ISLAMABAD: Differences between Pakistan and Turkey remain over demands by Ankara to permanently close down 23 Pak-Turk Gulen-run schools which provide education to thousands of Pakistani students, but both sides say that they are working towards an amicable solution.

This was the main issue that brought Foreign Minister of the Republic of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu to Islamabad on Monday on a two-day visit.

However, another important issue which was raised during the foreign minister’s meetings with the Pakistani leadership was the deteriorating situation in Indian-held Kashmir.

During his meetings with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, President Mamnoon Hussain, Adviser on Foreign Policy Sartaj Aziz and Minister for Safron, Cavusoglu stated that Turkey fully supports Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and asked the OIC Secretary General to mobilise the OIC Contact Group and send a fact-finding mission to Indian-held Kashmir.

“Turkey has always supported Pakistan on its stance on the Kashmir issue. We believe this dispute can be solved only through dialogue and diplomacy, not violence or using force,” he said.

Cavusoglu reiterated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that Gulen, who resides in the United States, has been blamed for the recently failed coup bid, and hence this request to close the Gulen-run schools in Pakistan should be considered.

The Pakistani leadership held out an assurance that it “will explore options to come up with an arrangement to ensure that the schools are de-linked from the Gulen network.”

However, during a joint press conference at the Foreign Office with Sartaj Aziz, Cavusoglu revealed that the request to shut down the Gulen-run schools in Pakistan was made well before the recent failed coup in Turkey. He added that Gulen’s “terrorist group” should be stamped out.

“It is not secret that this organisation has institutions or their presence in Pakistan and in many other countries,” he said.“I am sure the necessary measures will be taken. We have to be very careful with such organisations and their causing risk and threat for the security and stability of every country that they have presence.”

He added that this organisation has a global network of schools, business associations and cultural organisations. “In the past, we supported them but we didn’t know they had a hidden agenda … that they were trying to take over power in Turkey through such attempts. The first attempt of this group took place in Dec 2013,” he said, adding that the “terror group” must be fought all over the world.

While pleased with the cooperation on the issue by his Pakistani hosts, as well as supporting a democratic Turkey, Cavusoglu revealed: “The request (for shutting down Gulen-run schools) was made when President Mamnoon Hussain visited Turkey. Gulen-run schools are functional in many countries.”

According to the spokesman at the Foreign Office, during Cavusoglu’s call on the prime minister, both the leaders expressed satisfaction at the continued expansion and deepening of bilateral relations.

“The prime minister emphasised the importance that Pakistan attaches to its relations with Turkey and underlined the need to hold regular high-level exchanges,” said the spokesman.

The president, in his meeting with the Turkish foreign minister, stressed on the importance of fostering unity among the Muslim Ummah to tackle the modern day challenges faced by it and noted that both Pakistan and Turkey had an important role to play in that regard.

Both the president and the prime minister reiterated their strong condemnation on the attempted coup in Turkey and lauded the successful defence of democracy by the people of Turkey under the popular leadership of President Erdogan.

During the joint press conference, Sartaj Aziz stressed that Pakistan and Turkey enjoy close brotherly relations. “We are on the same page when it comes to tackling terrorism.” However, Aziz did not make any commitment that Pakistan was immediately closing down the Gulen-run schools as he commented, “We will try to find an alternative arrangement for the schools to continue whereas their other activities have to be managed or curbed.”

At the delegation level talks at the Foreign Office, both sides discussed methods to increase cooperation and are “hoping to sign a free trade agreement this year”.

The Turkish foreign minister said he had informed Aziz “how we are normalising our relations with Russia and Israel”, and also discussed regional issues, particularly ties with Afghanistan, and said Turkey would continue supporting reconciliation efforts in the region.

Expressing satisfaction at the ever-growing cooperation between the two fraternal countries, the two leaders agreed on the need for sustained engagement for enhanced cooperation in diverse spheres. The importance of early conclusion of bilateral Free Trade Agreement was also highlighted as it would significantly contribute towards the overall vision of the leadership of the two countries to transform the traditionally cordial bilateral relations into a robust economic partnership.

The adviser also briefed Cavusoglu on the latest situation in Afghanistan, including reconciliation efforts, steps taken to improve border management between Pakistan and Afghanistan and the status of Afghan refugees. He also underscored the imperatives of reaching a sustainable and lasting peace in Afghanistan through reconciliation and dialogue.

On the issue of migration, the adviser lauded the generous spirit of the people of Turkey in welcoming and hosting refugees from Syria. The two leaders called upon the developed countries to increase their contributions in this regard. Since both countries host the largest refugee populations in the world, the leaders agreed that there was an urgent need for a more forthcoming response from the developed countries in order to reduce the disproportionate burden on developing countries.