Kosovo bank freezes allegedly FETÖ-linked accounts, weeks after Turkish intel operation

PRISTINA – Anadolu Agency

A bank in Kosovo has suspended a number of private bank accounts linked to alleged members of the network of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, according to local Kosovan media reports cited by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency.

Kallxo.com, a website monitoring corruption, reported that a number of employees of Mehmet Akif College, a high school known to be affiliated to what the Turkish authorities refer to as the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), have been informed that their bank accounts are frozen.

According to the report, the employees were asked to visit the bank to close out their accounts within 30 days, after which they would be shuttered in any case.

Nazmi Ulus, the head of the school, confirmed to kallxo.com that some of his employees had difficulties accessing their accounts.

In March, Turkish intelligence officers staged a secret operation to bring six alleged senior FETÖ members from Kosovo back to Turkey. The operation stirred controversy in Kosovo, with Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj saying he was not informed of the operation, which activists said represented a violation of human rights.

Ankara accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary. Members of the Gülen movement are widely believed to be behind Turkey’s July 2016 coup attempt.

The Gülen movement has a worldwide network of educational institutions that provide it with vital sources of revenue. After years of supporting the establishment of these schools, the Turkish government now demands their closure or their transfer to the Turkish authorities.