Istanbul chief prosecutor slams illegal eavesdropping

The chief prosecutor of Istanbul has strictly criticized illegal eavesdropping on thousands of people, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Speaking to reporters in a meeting on June 27, Hadi Salihoğlu stressed illegal eavesdropping is an important problem in Turkey.

“Who can feel secure in a country where the prime minister is eavesdropped on?” he asked. “If he is being eavesdropped on, is the content more important, or that he is being eavesdropped on?”
Salihoğlu was referring to news reports published in February by two pro-government dailies, which said two anti-terrorism prosecutors had obtained court orders authorizing the wiretapping as part of an investigation into the “Selam Terror Organization,” a hitherto unheard of group whose name means “Greetings/Peace.”

Erdoğan has repeatedly censured those who conducted the alleged wiretaps as “a treason posse,” explicitly blaming Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen as being the mastermind behind the operations. Gülen, a self-exiled scholar based in Pennsylvania, is believed to have his followers in key parts of the judiciary and police. However, after the graft probe became public on Dec. 17, 2013, thousands of workers in the judiciary and the police were removed from their posts in what is believed to be purges against the Gülenists.

Salihoğlu said the probe on the Dec. 17 incidents is ongoing and the reason an indictment has not been prepared after six months is because they are working hard to not to do injustice to anyone.

“Those are serious issues,” he said. “Turkey has been shaken. I am aware of my responsibility.”