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“Terrorism has no nationality, ethnicity nor religion. FETO threatens humanity as a whole”

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By Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu

On the evening of July 15, 2016, the “Fethullahist Terrorist Organization” (FETO) launched a bloody coup attempt against the people and the government of my country. Their aim was to establish a radical, fundamentalist regime, loyal only to their ringleader Fetullah Gülen.

As FETO affiliated army units left their barracks to occupy key locations, such as the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul and fighter jets and attack helicopters bombed strategic targets including the Parliament, Presidential compound, army and police headquarters; thousands of civilians took to the streets to stop this unprecedented heinous coup attempt. The plotters killed 251 innocent civilians and left thousands injured. On that night the Turkish people defended democracy with their lives. This heroic response was something the conspirators did not foresee.

To understand what transpired, one has to understand the true nature of FETO. FETO was established in the late 1960’s as a so-called “religious movement”. In the guise of promoting education and inter-religious dialogue, it managed to cover its malign intentions.

The well-planned and wide-spread infiltration by FETO members and converts into the army, law enforcement, judiciary and numerous government institutions, including my Ministry, was carried out for decades clandestinely for an overarching plan, of which the final phase was unleashed on July 15, 2016.

Had the coup attempt succeeded, there would have been a very different Türkiye today. Democracy would not have existed and fundamental rights and freedoms would have been suspended indefinitely. The nation would have fallen in the hands of an extremist government.

FETO not only controlled a significant portion of educational institutions, but also owned numerous financial institutions. Their bank accounts were fed by prominent FETO members in industry and commerce, as well as by officials and members of the public. Many innocent civilians were also lured into contributing to FETO’s finances as their piety was manipulated. The enormous income driven from their schools around the globe was channeled into these accounts clandestinely waiting for their ultimate move.

Following the bloody coup attempt of July 15, 2016, a resolute cleansing of the public sector, including government institutions and the military, as well as of the private sector from all FETO affiliated persons and companies was initiated.  Some prominent conspirators have been apprehended. Others escaped justice and found refuge in foreign countries. The head of the FETO terrorist organization, Fethullah Gülen, still resides in the United States. Our government has been requesting the extradition of Gülen to Türkiye from the United States as well as that of FETO members from European countries for years. Unfortunately, these requests have not been fulfilled yet.

On the other hand, elsewhere in the world, an increasing number of governments understand the danger this terrorist organization also poses to them and are taking the necessary steps. FETO is also engaged in illegal activities such as visa fraud, money laundering and arms trafficking. Consequently, FETO members are being cleared from public and private sectors in many countries. Many schools affiliated with this terrorist organization abroad have been transferred to the Turkish Maarif Foundation after 2016. Today, Maarif Schools are functioning in many countries and are providing excellent education worldwide.

The nature and scope of Türkiye’s fight against FETO is no different than that exercised by other countries against organizations which had terrorized officials and civilians alike, and endangered democratic values, fundamental rights and freedoms. Türkiye is doing what the respective countries in their fight against terrorism have done in the past. All procedures are in compliance with law.

Terrorism does not have a nationality, ethnicity or religion. This menace threatens humanity as a whole. Therefore, the response to this threat must be united and determined. No state has the luxury to differentiate between terrorists and no terrorist organization can be classified as “useful” according to preferences. FETO is responsible for the loss of hundreds of lives as well as other grave crimes against the Turkish people. Six years after July 15, 2016, Türkiye continues its resolute fight against FETO, just as it continues its fight against other terrorist organizations such as the PKK, PYD-YPG, DHKP-C and DAESH.

We expect the international community to stand in solidarity with Türkiye in the fight against terrorism.

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu is Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye

Governmental gas station under pipeline

Metasebia Teshome
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Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE), one of the 27 public enterprises under the Ethiopian Investment Holding, plans to revise its plan to build governmental gas stations under the management of EIH.
“The investment holding was established to administer the national wealth in an organized way, in order to help support government development agencies to strength their weakness in financing development projects; in addition to creating wealth for the current and future generation of Ethiopia,” Tadesse Hailemariam, Chief Executive Officer of EPSE told Capital.
“Having governmental gas stations will stabilize the market as it creates competition between the government and the private sector, especially at a time where man made shortages have bewildered the market,” Tadesse explained, while underlining the merits of the governmental gas stations.
In 2015, the Ethiopian government had shown an interest in joining the fuel distribution markets in the country and had identified 60 of the 130 locations in which it planned to establish the gas stations across the country. However, as Tadesse elaborates it was the hiatus of the Addis Ababa city administration which refused to give land for the construction.
“Being under the EIH umbrella will help us to solve certain challenges, such as the shortage of depots, which we face. We have been planning to build a depot at Dukem at a cost of 150 million dollars. However, it was difficult to get financing and EIH will be instrumental in achieving this,” said Tadesse.
As the CEO said, the enterprise has plans to build a depot at Dire-Dawa and Woldiya, as well.
In the past few days severe fuel shortage has pricked the country, including that of the Capital, Addis Ababa. Furthermore the government on Tuesday announced a 38 percent increase in the price of diesel as it plans to stop subsidizing fuel. Removing subsidies will be applied with different mechanisms where it will be removed within one to five years based on assessments.
“The government is importing fuel properly with no stated decrease on the amount, however, the main problem comes after it is shipped from Djibouti with trucks, which results it not to arrive to its allocated destination,” said Tadesse indicating that it is a manmade problem created by few unlawful traders who have created the situation by hording fuel in anticipation of higher prices. “The public has to know the truth that the government is providing enough supply,” he underlined.
“Hundreds of trucks carrying petroleum have been found in different parts of the country and some have been going to Sudan and Tigray whilst some are hording petroleum until the price adjustments are made. Until the end of this week, more than 20 gas carrying cars have been seized by the government,” said Kumneger Ewnetu, Public Relation Director at the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration.
“After the price adjustment, beneficiary vehicles which are to be found in the involvement of using this opportunity for illegal sell of gas, will face the full penalty of the law, which can stretch from 6 months to 7 years,” Kumneger stressed.
With regards to pointing out the thorn in this space, oil company executives, transport companies, and gas stations are said to be part of the problem as opposed to the solution.

Exporters in outcry over pre-shipment credit

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Exporters shade in outcry over the lack of appetite of the financial sector which is eroding its provision of pre-shipment export credit facility.
Business community members who are engaged in the export business claim that despite most of their export activity being supported by pre-shipment export credit, they are unable to go under the previous regular circumstance due to lack of interest from banks to provide such kind of loan facility.
One of the exporters that Capital interviewed said that because of capital shortage, his operation has been stuck; meanwhile, he has been presented several contracts to ship commodities for foreign clients.
“In the past, we operated our business with pre-shipment export credit facility, however the banks interest have eroded in the past few months,” the exporter says, adding, “because of that I can not undertake the business even though there are huge demands from clients in my sector.”
Exporters said that the case is particularly challenging for growing businesses that do not have ample collaterals as big and long established businesses owners.
“Banks are now demanding to provide over draft credit facility or term type of loans, which is affordable for well established business actors,” they added.
Experts stated that the current trend of banks, on becoming uninterested to provide pre-shipment export credit facility is directly related with the revision of retention directive which was amended by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), financial sector regulatory body, early this year.
They argued that the directive has eroded the financial sector to provide service for international businesses since it smashes the hard currency retention portion that banks or exporters secured from the activity.
The retention and utilization of export earnings and inward remittances directives no. FXD/79/2022 that was amended and became effective on January 6 on its article 4.1 stated that banks are required to surrender 70 percent of the foreign currency earnings from export of goods and services, private transfer and NGO’s transfer to the NBE.
Article 4.2 stated that exporter of goods and services and recipients of inward remittance shall have the right to retain 20 percent of their export earnings in foreign currency indeterminately in a retention account after the deduction of 70 percent surrender requirement from the total earnings. It added that the remaining 10 percent shall be surrendered to the respective bank.
The prior directive that was revised early last budget year gave a right for NBE to take half of the foreign currency earnings and the balance for exporters and banks.
Experts said that banks benefited from the hard currency earnings whether that is their portion or exporters, “but it is now not more attractive as a business for banks due to that they are reluctant to provide credit facilities like pre-shipment loans, which is only considered as an export contract with less interest rate compared with the market.”
“Banks now prefer to do other businesses at better interest rates and even secured procedures like providing loans with collaterals,” experts explained.
“Bankers argued that they would not be profitable even if they get 30 percent of the hard currency,” experts said.
They added that currently some banks shall provide pre-shipment credit but it might be with collateral and high interest rates unlike the past, which was below 10 percent.
Pre-shipment export credit facility is a type of loan extended for the purchase of raw materials, processing and converts them into finished goods, warehousing, packing, and transporting the goods until the time of shipment.

Safaricom Ethiopia liaises with NBE to amend financial proclamation

Metasebia Teshome
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Safaricom Ethiopia said it is participating in the consultation process with the national bank in amending the financial proclamation.The company has said it is ready to launch its operation in August, after four months delay in its agreement with the government and plans to reach the expected plan until April 2023.
Recently, the new telecommunications entrant announced that it has started to purchase equipment to operate M-pesa in Ethiopia, and owing to the fact of the country’s financial law not allowing foreign companies to participate in the financial sector, the company is awaiting for the national bank to amend the law.
“A couple of months ago, the national bank started the consultation process to amend the proclamation. We are participating in the consultation process to suggest what exactly is needed to be changed to allow foreign investors, into the market,” said Matthew Harrison-Harvey, Chief External Affairs and Regulatory Officer on Thursday, July 7, 2022 on a press briefing, adding that he expects the proclamation to be amended soon.
The company has said there will be a phased launch of its network and services that will commence from August 2022, switching on the network in 25 cities across the country when ready by April 2023, starting with Dire Dawa as it is conducting rigorous tests to ensure the provision of quality services.
Based on the agreement with the government and its license operation, the new telecommunications entrant was supposed to start after nine months following its license award which was supposed to be in early April, , but that had faced setbacks.
“Currently, we are in a testing period to ensure that when we switch on, we will deliver a quality experience for Ethiopians. We are working to fulfill our commitment to building the longterm foundations for our contribution to Ethiopia’s digital transformation and inclusion objectives to transform lives for a digital future,” stated Matthew Harrison-Harvey, adding, “Dire Dawa is chosen because of the network quality.”
The company has so far invested 1 billion dollars including the license fee to the government of Ethiopia. Also Safaricom has signed infrastructure and interconnectivity agreement with Ethio telecom.
The agreement is said to last for 10 years on infrastructure sharing and interconnection. Severe disagreements had earlier arisen between the two companies regarding the price and currency of payment and under this agreement, the payment will be in both currencies, with varying ratios across the infrastructure type.
“Both agreements are really important because even though we are building our own network towers and transmissions at the same time in line with that it make sense to share infrastructure rather than to build two in the same area,” said Matthew, adding, “This will enable the company to have options and redundancy indicating that the agreement is now under implementation.”
The agreement in principle with Ethio telecom was announced in April barely a month after the telecom operator signed an infrastructure-sharing agreement with the state-owned Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) to deploy its aerial fibers.

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