BAKU, Azerbaijan

Turkey's Maarif Foundation and Azerbaijan's Education Ministry signed a cooperation protocol in the field of education on Friday.

President of Maarif Foundation Prof. Birol Akgun met with Azerbaijan's Education Minister Emin Amrullayev as part of his visit to the country. The meeting was also attended by Turkish Ambassador to Baku Cahit Bagci, and Cihad Demirli, a member of Maarif's board.

Following the meeting, Akgun and Amrullayev inked the protocol that aims at expending and encouraging cooperation in the field of education between the two countries.

The protocol was prepared in line with a former agreement and a protocol reached between Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The Maarif Foundation was founded to replace terrorist-linked schools abroad in the wake of a defeated 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. It carries out education activities with 357 educational institutions and a university in 67 countries.

Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in which 251 people were martyred and 2,734 injured.

Ankara accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

*Writing by Sena Guler