Confusing statements from Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu

In a statement to the Anadolu Agency, Çavuşoğlu claimed that ‘the parallel structure is working against Turkey even in the Armenian Question’ adding, ‘the 2015 events, other events… they are collaborating with all elements that are acting against Turkey’.

The phrase ‘parallel structure’ denotes the Hizmet movement led by the cleric Fethullah Gülen, who is in self-imposed exile in the US. Hizmet initially supported the AKP, but the two groups have recently been involved in a bitter struggle.

Çavuşoğlu then stated, ‘the parallel structure is exerting intense efforts to get decisions against Turkey in the US, and these people are spending a lot of money, too’.

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu had displayed a strong denialist position regarding the Armenian Genocide before he became Foreign Minister, once saying, “I will be the first to shout ‘There was no Genocide!’ when I next travel to France” regarding the Genocide denial draft law in 2011.