The Turkish government has raised concerns over the presence of members of the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) in Nigeria, warning that the group also operates under various fronts in other countries.
Turkey’s Ambassador-designate to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, issued the warning on Tuesday night in Abuja during a dinner hosted by the Turkish Embassy to mark Türkiye’s Democracy and National Unity Day, commemorating the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt in the country.
Poroy stated that the coup, which claimed at least 251 lives, was orchestrated by the FETO network, led by the late Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish Islamic scholar who died in October 2024 in the United States while living as a fugitive.
“Unfortunately, the FETO terrorist organisation still maintains its activities in Nigeria, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare,” Poroy said, stressing that the presence of such a group poses a threat to any country where it operates.
He explained that Turkey has consistently warned Nigerian authorities about the group’s activities, urging vigilance and caution. “We consistently inform our Nigerian friends about the nature and dangers of this organisation, and urge them to remain vigilant and cautious,” he said.
Poroy noted that through international cooperation, Turkey has disrupted many FETO cells globally, taking over institutions, especially schools, linked to the group in allied countries. However, he acknowledged that FETO’s global networks have not been fully dismantled, and new investigations and arrests continue to emerge.
“In several countries, including Nigeria, FETO continues to pursue its operations under the guise of humanitarian aid, education, healthcare, and interfaith dialogue,” Poroy warned. “Behind this humanitarian appearance lies an organisation that seeks to infiltrate the political and bureaucratic institutions of host countries.”
The Gülen movement, known as Hizmet (Service) in Turkish, was founded in the late 1950s and has presented itself as a religious, educational, and social organisation. However, the Turkish government has designated it a terrorist organisation and blames it for the 2016 attempted coup, maintaining an aggressive campaign to dismantle its global operations.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Gulf Cooperation Council, Pakistan, and Northern Cyprus have also designated FETO as a terrorist organisation.
Turkey’s government has seized or frozen billions of dollars in Gülen-linked assets and institutions worldwide, including schools, foundations, associations, and companies, as part of its global crackdown against the network.
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