Turkey: 21 arrested in 'wiretapping' operation

ANKARA

Twenty-one police officials alleged to have illegally wiretapped hundreds of Turkish officials, politicians and journalists were arrested in simultaneous operations across the country on Friday.

Anti-terror police from Ankara led a broad operation across 25 provinces, including Samsun, Kastamonu, Mus, Van, Izmir, Bingol, Konya and Batman at the request of the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor, security sources told Anadolu Agency.

The suspects are accused of illegally wiretapping the communications of 432 people, including businessmen, prominent journalists and politicians from the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party between 2007 and 2009.

Opposition parties, members of the Turkish armed forces, the Energy Market Regulatory Authority, police and Constitutional Court are also said to have been wiretapped.

Among those wiretapped are also the current Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes, former deputy premier Abdullatif Sener and former minister Erdogan Bayraktar.

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor issued arrest warrants for 46 people, some of whom are abroad and some already in jail as part of previous investigations.

Among the 21 arrested on Friday, there are former deputy heads of the Intelligence and Security Branch of Turkish National Police Recep Guven and Gursel Aktepe as well as deputy chief of Ankara police department Lokman Kircili.

Those arrested are being handed over to the Ankara police department following health checks and procedures at police departments in their respective provinces.