University with alleged Gülen links closes in Azerbaijan

BAKU – Anadolu Agency



The closure of Qafqaz University came a few days after a failed coup attempt in Turkey, which the government has accused followers of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gülen of organizing.



Qafqaz University was known as Gülen’s first university abroad and was established in 1993.



In a statement, the ministry said: “The founder of the university applied to the ministry to submit the university board’s decision to close down.



“After receiving the documents regarding closure from [the] university, it will create a working group in order to ensure the continuation of education of the Qafqaz University students and will carry out the process of their placement.”



Azerbaijan also closed the Gülen-linked Zaman-Azerbaijan newspaper and Zaman.az webpage.



Azerbaijan’s Press Council issued a statement saying: “Azerbaijan’s Press Council calls for the Azerbaijani media to show sensitivity on the vital incident in [our] sister country Turkey.”



“The person or people who create social unrest in Turkey and act to break the state tradition should not make any propaganda in Azerbaijani media,” the statement added.



In 2014, Azerbaijani authorities closed 13 education centers and 11 high schools following Turkey’s crackdown on the Gülen movement.



Azerbaijan’s Education Ministry announced on July 20 that an allegedly Gülen movement-affiliated university in Baku has been shut down.