Parallel state 'broken like glass palace' says Erdogan

ANKARA (AA) – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that the "parallel state” in Turkey had been broken into pieces like a "glass palace".

"We saw and are seeing the fate of the betrayal gang, which was called the ‘parallel state structure’," Erdogan told NGO representatives during an iftar (fast-breaking dinner) in the capital, Ankara.

Headed by Fetullah Gulen, a U.S.-based preacher who runs a network of schools and commercial enterprises in Turkey and around the world, what is known as the “parallel state” allegedly represents a clandestine group of Turkish bureaucrats and senior officials.

These have been accused of being embedded in the country’s institutions, including the judiciary and the police, in an attempt to overthrow the government.

Erdogan said non-governmental organizations "strongly" supported Turkey in its fight against terrorist organizations and the parallel structure.

"I expect you [NGOs] to be in solidarity also in other fields," he added.