ANKARA, ISTANBUL
A parallel state structure accused of allegedly forming illegal control mechanisms inside the Turkish state could be entered onto Turkey's list of national threats, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.
Speaking on Saturday night en route from the Afghan capital of Kabul to Istanbul, Erdogan said: "The parallel structure and its nesting inside the state are among the elements threatening our national security."
"All these national security threats will form the agenda issues for our National Security Council [MGK] meeting this month."
MGK, which gathers once every two months to develop national security policy, will next meet in October.
He added: "A list of recommendations regularly appears after our exchanges in the meeting."
"If it [the fight with parallel structure] takes place on the recommendations list and Turkey's cabinet of ministers adopt the stance, the threat can enter into Turkey's National Security Policy Document."
'Fraternity and friendship'
The document, known as the "Red Book", is updated every five or 10 years.
Erdogan explained: "Next year, the time expires for the update of the document as it is renewed every five years."
"However, it could not be necessary to wait for exactly five years. In extraordinary situations, we can take this to an earlier date and make the necessary changes."
The president explained that, if the parallel state is listed in the document, it "would change the perspective of both the judiciary and the international community to the issue".
"The countries having ties of fraternity and friendship ties would not ignore a decision taken by the Turkish cabinet and a body as important as the MGK," he said.
The Turkish government claims that supporters of the Gulen movement led by U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen have infiltrated the state and are attempting to overthrow the government.
Incirlik demand
The allegations have led to the arrests of dozens of police officers and the reposting of police and members of the judiciary following anti-corruption investigations in December which saw high-profile figures close to the government detained.
All those detained in the probe were later released.
Referring to the U.S. demand for access to Turkey's Incirlik Air Base near the Mediterranean Sea, Erdogan said that any demand which ran counter to Turkish interests would not be acceptable.
He asked: "What do they want from us in Incirlik? This is not clear yet."
"If it becomes clear, we can evaluate it with our security forces. But it is impossible to say 'yes' to something which we don't see as appropriate."
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said last Thursday that the key military assistance the U.S. sought from Turkey was access to the military air base within the scope of coalition forces targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, in Syria.
Comprehensive solution
The high cost that the U.S. pays for air operations will be decreased if Turkey allows it to use the Incirlik airbase, as it is located near northern Syria, observers say.
The Turkish government has insisted on the establishment of a no-fly zone to halt attacks by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Syrian opposition forces, and the setting-up of a safe haven near the Turkey-Syrian border for refugees fleeing ISIL attacks in Syria.
Turkey has repeatedly said the fight against ISIL requires a comprehensive strategy and has demanded the removal of the Assad regime in Syria which, according to Ankara, is part of a comprehensive solution needed to defeat ISIL.
Erdogan also criticized speculation surrounding the arming of the Democratic Union Party, or PYD - an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Syria - currently fighting ISIL around the Turkey-Syria border town of Kobani.
Erdogan said: "Creating an anti-ISIL front could give arms support to the PYD - but PYD means PKK for us right now, which is a terrorist organization."
"We cannot say 'yes' to that if our NATO ally U.S. expects consent from us for such support."
There have been reports in the international media that the PYD has claimed to have had direct talks with the U.S. on arming its fighters at Kobani.
Secret ballot
The U.S. has confirmed having direct talks with the group, but has not specified where or what has been discussed.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey as well as by the U.S. and the EU.
Turkey has launched what is publicly known as the "solution process" to end the decades-old conflict with the PKK.
The conflict to date has claimed more than 40,000 peoples' lives in more than 30 years.
Touching on Turkey's lost bid for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council, Erdogan emphasized that Turkey has taken promises of support from about 140 countries, but only 60 countries supported Turkey in a secret ballot made on Thursday at the UN General Assembly.
He said: "We have seen how some among those 140 countries made a maneuver despite what they promised us."
"We don't have any concern on Spain winning, but we had some special fraternity with those countries - they revealed themselves."
Turkey lost its campaign for the much-coveted non-permanent seat on the council in a runoff against Spain after both countries failed to garner the required number of votes in the first two rounds on Thursday.
Erdogan lauds role of ‘Wise Men’ committee
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday the efforts of the “Wise Men Committee” were beneficial to the settlement process with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or the PKK.
The committee is tasked with bridging the gap between the public and the government, and assessing the public view on the settlement of the Kurdish issue. It comprises of 63 members, including writers, columnists, academics, and actors in addition to many prominent figures with different political views, religions and ethnic backgrounds.
"It is useful that the government integrates with the representatives of the people," Erdogan told the media in Istanbul.
The committee carried out its activities even during the time when Erdogan was the prime minister. "We have seen many advantages of their attendance and support in the process, and I believe they continue to be very effective," he added.
Also on Sunday, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with the committee at the Prime Ministerial Office in Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace.
Last year, the committee had taken to the roads with the aim of assessing public opinion on the settlement of the Kurdish issue.
The committee made efforts in all seven regions of Turkey and met with more than 60,000 people.
The Turkish government launched the solution or settlement process early last year to secure an end to the decades-long conflict with the outlawed PKK, which has claimed more than 40,000 lives.
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