Sunday, August 17, 2025

Georgia revokes decision to freeze Gulen-linked university's student intake

TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian regulatory body for quality in education on Saturday revoked a controversial decision to bar a Tbilisi university from accepting new students for a period of one year. Black Sea International University, one of Georgia’s leading higher educational institutions, was also allowed to increase the number of students enrolled each year from 2,500 … Read more

German Greens MEP backs Gülen school official’s plea against extradition

Rebecca Harms, head of the Greens faction in the EU parliament.
Rebecca Harms. (Rustavi 2.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The head of the Greens faction in the EU parliament calls on Georgia not to extradite a school manager to Turkey.

“To be a teacher is not a crime,” said Rebecca Harms, a German politician who is current head of the Greens-European Free Alliance in the EU parliament.

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Georgia cracks down on private school linked to Gulen network

ergoghan Geo PM Press Office Photo
Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. (Photo by the Georgian PM office.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian authorities have suspended the accreditation of a private school with links to the Turkish Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, whom Ankara has accused of plotting the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

The council of the National Center

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Russian-Turkish détente nothing that Americans should be concerned about: Former US Ambassador to Turkey

Ross Wilson, former US Ambassador to Turkey, currently Director of the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC summarizes latest developments in the Turkey-US and Turkey-Russia relations. The interview excerpts ran on the Voice of America’s program. Below is a transcript as recorded by Anna Kalandadze of VoA’s Georgian service.  What … Read more

Turkish consul claims Gülen school in Georgia fostering terrorism

Fethullah_Gulen
The Turkish government accuse Fethullah Gülen (pictured) of being behind last Friday’s failed coup attempt. Gülen’s movement runs a number of schools around the world.

TBILISI, DFWatch–Turkish consul in Batumi Yasin Temizkan has called on Georgian authorities to close down a private school in the city because it is fostering terrorism.

The Şahin schools are funded by the movement of Fethullah Gülen (pictured), a Turkish preacher,

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Georgian PM extends condolences to Yıldırım, confirms Turkey trip

giorgi_kvirikashvili2TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili spoke by phone with his Turkish colleague Binali Yıldırım on Monday, and both confirmed that Kvirikashvili will visit Ankara for the first session of the Georgia-Turkey strategic partnership council on July 19.

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Coup attempt in Turkey prompts Georgia to close border

Sarpi___borderTBILISI, DFWatch–Authorities in Georgia decided Saturday morning to seal its land border to its neighbor Turkey and cancel all flights into that country for the time being, out of concern for the safety of civilians.

At the border crossing near Sarpi, only Turkish citizens are currently

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