Austria home to many FETO-linked institutions

By Hasan Tosun

VIENNA (AA) - A number of think tanks, private learning centers, foundations and schools linked to U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen have made Austria their home.

The Turkish state accuses Gulen of being behind the deadly July 15 coup attempt.

A weekly newspaper called Zaman Austria, based in Vienna, constitutes an important leg of FETO terrorist organization's structuring in the country. With an annual €100 subscription fee, Zaman is distributed in nine counties and known for its anti-Turkey and anti-government publications. The weekly is also widely used as a source by some Austrian media working against Turkey and having close ties with Austrian government and the Israeli lobby inside the country.

Gulen's cousin Numan Gulen has been leading the Austrian structuring of the organization.

As for education, FETO has more than 50 daycare centers and nurseries in the country.

FETO-linked Phönix High School, founded in 2007, is based in Vienna and has branches in eight counties. Austria not allowing Turkish people residing in the country to establish associations while paving the way for FETO to found schools in 2007 has drawn controversy.

Students pay a €300-700 monthly fee and the Austrian curriculum is followed in these schools where Austrian national teachers also work.

In addition to a number of prep centers or "dershane", paid learning centers that provide supplementary education, FETO owns a building operated as Anadolu Cultural Center, in which some cultural and social activities have been carried out.

All these schools, prep centers and cultural centers have been providing the required human resources for the organization.

The Dialogue Peace Institute (Friede) founded in Vienna in 2002, describes itself as a think-tank, but is in fact a propaganda center. The institute has been chaired by Yasemin Aydın and used as a tool to reach the high-profile politicians, pushing its propaganda over Fetullah Gulen's books and ideas.

The association of businessmen of the group in Vienna is presided by Duran Meric. As the group has lost its reputation in the eyes of Turkish people and Muslims living in Austria, it started searching for the new strategies to sustain its presence.

Pro-FETO businessmen are making anti-coup declarations to protect their reputation while they are also establishing new companies in furniture, food and textile sector to keep the economic capacity of the group alive.

*Sibel Ugurlu contributed to this report from Ankara.