FM: Gülenists use every possible way to harm Turkey

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Monday that the "parallel structure" makes every attempt possible to weaken Turkey.

Pennsylvania-based retired imam Fethullah Gülen leads the Gülen Movement, which is accused of forming a criminal gang – referred to as the "parallel structure" by the government – within key government institutions including the judiciary and the police. The movement runs a vast network of for-profit educational institutions in the U.S., Europe, Asia and elsewhere around the world.

The government has accused members of the Gülen Movement of lobbying unspecified foreign elements to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's administration and of being behind online leaks, phone hacking and spying on high-ranking officials.

Çavuşoğlu slammed the movement and said it is working against Turkey on the sensitive Armenian issue: "We have to defend the interests of our country."

The 1915 Armenian incidents took place during World War I when a portion of the Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the invading Russians and revolted against the empire. The uprisings came about after a decision by the empire to relocate Armenians in eastern Anatolia.

The Armenian diaspora and the state of Armenia have both described the incidents as "genocide" and have asked for compensation. In April 2014, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who was then prime minister, offered his condolences to Armenians who died during the 1915 events. The move was considered the beginning of a normalization process between Turkey and Armenia.