SBBS is on a list of schools ordered by the Turkish Embassy in Jakarta to close because of their links to the Pacific Countries Social and Economic Solidarity Association (PASIAD), a Turkish organization recently banned by that country’s government.

In an announcement directed to the Indonesian government, the Turkish Embassy in Jakarta said eight schools in Indonesia, including SBBS, had cooperated with PASIAD and Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic scholar accused of having masterminded a military coup attempt in Turkey on July 15.

“We’ve read the statement. This school, though, will not be closed down. We are all Indonesian citizens. We are not Turkish nationals,” the principal of senior high school SBBS Gemolong, Amir Zubaidi, said in a recent interview.

Amir insisted that the closure order from the Turkish Embassy would not affect the school’s operations. He admitted that SBBS Gemolong had agreed to cooperate with PASIAD, especially on the recruitment of teachers from Turkey, in 2008. The school’s management ended its partnership with the organization in 2015, however, after it was banned in Turkey; the decision was made based on a letter from the Culture and Education Ministry in Jakarta.

“SBBS no longer has any cooperation with PASIAD. All Turkish teachers here have been sent home. Our school, as such, must no longer be tarred with the same brush as PASIAD,” said Amir.

He added that SBBS had also declined to extend its cooperation with Amity College, an education institution handled by PASIAD members, when the previous agreement expired on June 30 this year. “Currently, SBBS is purely managed by Indonesian teachers,” said Amir. (ebf)

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