MALATYA, Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday hit out at “circles” disturbed by Turkey’s growing global position.

Addressing NGO representatives in Malatya, eastern Turkey, he said: “Turkey has become a country that has gained resistance to global crises and has overcome these crises on its own.

“We know that there are some circles who cannot digest this situation.”

The president said these circles benefited a weak Turkey beset by internal problems because “for them, Turkey is a country to benefit, not a homeland to die for.”

Erdogan said there were a number of Turkish groups who were enemies of the country. “Whatever their names and representatives are, their aim is same,” he said, going on to identify the “parallel state” led by U.S.-based cleric Fetullah Gulen as one such group.

Referring to his visit to the U.S. in late March, Erdogan said parallel state members cooperated with the terrorist organization PKK and the Armenian diaspora in “simply declaring that they do not have a tie to their country.”

He added: “They were with members of the Armenian terrorist ASALA organization, with the YPG, and were chanting slogans against us in front of flags, rags of them, hand in hand.”

The president also highlighted the “political representatives of the separatist terror organization” - an apparent reference to the terrorist PKK and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) - and accused party leaders of legitimizing terrorism.

He also criticized the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) for supporting the HDP. “Everyone holding business with dark circles will absolutely give account to the nation one day,” Erdogan said.