Turkey's science watchdog mocked for ‘montage’ report on graft leaks
Turkeyâs opposition leaders have lined up to slam the state science watchdog TÃBÄ°TAK, which recently concluded that leaked voice recordings, allegedly belonging to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄan and apparently proving his involvement in a huge graft scandal, âwere montaged.â
âDo those at TÃBÄ°TAK who put their signatures under this [report] have any conscious, morality or faith?â main opposition CHP leader Kemal KılıçdaroÄlu asked on June 10, while delivering a speech at a meeting of his partyâs parliamentary group.
KılıçdaroÄlu also questioned those expertsâ âloyalty to the principles of Islam.â
âIf you appoint a zoo manager to one of the most prestigious institutions of Turkey, then it gives such report. This report does not acquit ErdoÄan,â he said, in reference to the appointment of former Ankara Zoo Director Mustafa Sancar to one of the most important units of TÃBÄ°TAK. Last month, Sancar was appointed vice director of ULAKBÄ°M, the Turkish Academic Network and Information Centre, which operates as TÃBÄ°TAKâS R&D Facility Institute.
âThese recordings are as authentic as Mount AÄrı,â he added.
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, also addressing his partyâs parliamentary group meeting on June 10, slammed TÃBÄ°TAK for the same report, while recalling how Technology Minister Fikri IÅık had told reporters only days after the leak that he âfeltâ that the recordings were âmontaged.â
âThe last blow was dealt by TÃBÄ°TAK,â Bahçeli said, mocking IÅık. âThe pro-AKP public servants assigned to...
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