A Turkish official said on Wednesday that Gülenist schools abroad pose a national threat to the countries that host them, saying that as a witness to the July 15 failed coup attempt it's their duty to warn countries that still allow these schools to operate within their borders.Director-General of the Directorate General of Press and Information (BYEGM) Mehmet Akarca, responding to questions raised by journalists from the Russian Federation as they visit a number of public institutions and agencies in Turkey as part of the "Witnessing History and National Unity Program," said that since the July 15 coup attempt Turkey is trying to clear all state institutions of Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) members, describing this task as one of the biggest challenges that Turkey faces due to FETÖ's systematic infiltration of state institutions over the past several decades. "Testimony by FETÖ members reveals that these people have been in close cooperation with other terrorist organizations for many years." Akarca said, ''They [FETÖ members] have identified themselves as a harmless religious group that has focused solely on education in various countries for years but after the July 15 coup attempt it became clear that FETÖ was using all of these schools as a tool in brainwashing young students and recruiting new members."Akarca praised the foresight of Russian President Vladimir Putin who ordered the closing of all Gülenist schools in the country in 2006 after discovering the true intentions of FETÖ.Commenting on the ongoing investigation of Gülen schools in the U.S, Akarca stressed that the International Law Firm Amsterdam & Partners recently filed an official complaint against Gülen-linked schools in Ohio for using public funds to conduct illegal financial affairs as an example of the danger of these schools and added that this investigation could be just the tip of the iceberg regarding their illegal activity in the U.S.