Turkish PM Erdoğan urges countries to guard against Gülen movement

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has urged the ambassadors of foreign countries to be careful about the activities of the Fethullah Gülen movement abroad, arguing that it is using its schools and charities as a cover-up for its “dangerous actions.”

“I would like to recall that this organization has cooperation with international intelligence organizations. There is concrete evidence for this. Therefore, I want to recall that all countries should be careful and sensitive against this organization,” Erdoğan said in his address to ambassadors at the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) 7th traditional iftar meeting.

Erdoğan listed the struggle against what he calls the “parallel state” led by Gülen, a self-exiled religious leader in the U.S., as the latest part of his government’s fight to eliminate “all kinds of mafia and gangs” over the last 12 years. He again accused the Gülen movement of attempting to stage a “judicial coup” against the government and said the organization had tried to influence the government’s foreign and domestic policies though its members within state institutions.

“This structure we call the ‘Pennsylvania organization’ is active in many countries of the world. This organization, which carries out its activities under the cover of education and humanitarian aid, is aiming to be influential through the state and politics both in Turkey and in countries where it exists,” Erdoğan said.

“We saw their true colors after they changed their intentions and objectives, and we cut all our support to them. Our struggle against this organization continues within the framework of democracy and the rule of...