Ethiopian schools linked to Turkish cleric are sold

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - A network of schools in Ethiopia linked to Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Turkey of masterminding a failed coup attempt last year, is changing ownership.

The sale of the Nejashi Ethio-Turkish International Schools follows pressure from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is urging countries that host institutions inspired by Gulen to close or take them over.

Cecil Aydin, a coordinator at the schools in Ethiopia, this week described the sale of the school network to a group of German educators as a "business decision."

Aydin did not identify the new owners. The German embassy has not commented.

Ethiopia previously said the schools would be handed over to a foundation backed by the Turkish government.