Georgia cancels Gulen-linked school's license

On Saturday, Georgian Ministry of Education cancelled the license of a school in Batumi that is known to be linked to the US-based renegade Turkish cleric, Fetullah Gulen.

Sahin Primary and High Schools’ license was cancelled due to some serious deficiencies such as in the student enrolment system, officials from the country’s Education Ministry told Anadolu Agency, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking with the media.

The officials said the formal decision on the cancellation of the school’s license would be issued within 10 working days.

According to Georgian law, when a school’s license is cancelled, educational procedures are suspended from the day the decision is formally issued.

By the decision of the Ministry, the students will be transferred to various educational institutions.

It is known that there are seven Gulen-linked schools in Georgia. The Georgian Education Quality Improvement Centre did not renew the licence of one of those schools located in capital Tbilisi at the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year.

According to Turkey’s government, Fetullah Gulen – a resident of the US state of Pennsylvania – masterminded the coup attempt on July 15 last year, which left at least 248 people dead and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara has also said Gulen and his supporters are behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

The group is also known for its network of hundreds of schools around the world. So far, over 80 Gulen-linked organisations operating outside Turkey, including schools and training centres, have been shut down or transferred to the Turkish government.