Turkey: Police Arrested, Accused of Illegal Wiretapping and Spying on Government

News

Turkish police arrested 67 senior police officers Tuesday for illegal wire-tapping and spying on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his cabinet in a wide-scale government sweep against supporters of his political rival, reports Reuters.

Related Articles

Calls for Anti-Corruption in Ukraine’s Post-War Rebuild
As Ukraine looks toward recovery from the ongoing conflict, international partners and reform advocates call for embedding anti-corruption measures in post-war restoration efforts.
Mining Crimes Pose a Challenge for Law Enforcement, Experts Say
A recent report found that only one in three of environmental crime cases in the Amazon produced a parallel financial crime investigation from authorities.
Kyrgyz Elite Targeted as Japarov Allies Gain Key Assets
After the killing of crime boss Kamchy Kolbaev, Kyrgyz authorities have intensified their crackdown on prominent business figures suspected of financing organized crime. But is it justice—or something else?
Calls for Anti-Corruption in Ukraine’s Post-War Rebuild
As Ukraine looks toward recovery from the ongoing conflict, international partners and reform advocates call for embedding anti-corruption measures in post-war restoration efforts.
Mining Crimes Pose a Challenge for Law Enforcement, Experts Say
A recent report found that only one in three of environmental crime cases in the Amazon produced a parallel financial crime investigation from authorities.
Kyrgyz Elite Targeted as Japarov Allies Gain Key Assets
After the killing of crime boss Kamchy Kolbaev, Kyrgyz authorities have intensified their crackdown on prominent business figures suspected of financing organized crime. But is it justice—or something else?
July 22nd, 2014
Police Real Estate

The Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office said that the nearly 200 raids in the early morning were carried out in Istanbul and 22 provinces in Turkey, says Channel News Asia. According to prosecutors, arrest warrants were issued for 115 police officers.

The government claims that thousands of people were illegally wiretapped, including Erdogan, cabinet members, and the head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization, Hakan Fidan.

The arrests included current and former top police officials, most of whom held high positions during the investigation of Erdogan and his circle last December that led to the resignation of four cabinet ministers, reports Channel News Asia.

The Prime Minister said the corruption probe was part of a plot to oust him, led by his political rival Fetullah Gulen and his supporters, who he accuses of influencing the police and judiciary. Erdogan claims that Gulen’s network devised a corruption scandal and illegally wiretapped government phones and leaked government information to the media, reports Deutsche Welle.

Gulen, an Islamic cleric, has been living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, and Erdogan has called on the US to extradite Gulen to Turkey. Gulen denies involvement in any plot, says Reuters.

Istanbul’s former anti-terror police chief, who was among the arrested, said that the incident is politically motivated due to the upcoming presidential election on August 10, says Reuters.

According to EurActiv, Erdogan’s cabinet asserts that it would continue the fight against Gulen’s group in the run-up to the election, in which Erdogan is seen as the front-runner.

Related Reporting