Religious communities not blacklisted, says Turkish Security Council

Turkey's top national security body denied reports on Thursday that all types of religious communities had been blacklisted by the state.

A number of Turkish media outlets reported that the state had decided to launch a campaign against all types of religious communities during the Turkish Security Council's latest meeting, on October 30.

"All these claims are completely false," said a statement by the Turkish Security Council Thursday.

"Parallel structures and illegal formations conducting operations under an internal or external legal facade" had been named as a threat to national security and public order in Turkey at a press statement after the body's meeting.

The term "parallel state" has been used by the government since late 2013 to describe supporters of the Gülen movement, who officials say have infiltrated the state and are attempting to overthrow the government.

The ruling AK Party removed religious groups from the National Security Policy Document, known as the Red Book, in 2010 which listed national threats.

An investigation related to illegal wiretapping in a 2013 anti-graft probe led to the arrest of dozens of police officers and the transfer of a number of others in addition to members of the judiciary.

All those detained were later released pending trial.

The Turkish government called the probe a "dirty plot" orchestrated by a "parallel state." The anti-graft probe saw high-profile figures close to the government detained.