What if Turkey spied on the Germans?

Perhaps there is nothing abnormal in one country’s intelligence agency spying on the top executives of another country to gather sensitive economic, political and, of course, military data that might be used in an economic, political or - God forbid - military confrontation. Why else do countries have external intelligence agencies, counter-intelligence agencies, and spend millions of dollars on them every year?

When Americans spy on their allies, for example the Germans, they cannot definitely cite “domestic threat” or something of that sort, even if there is quite a high number of German Americans. Obviously, Germany would consider such a scandal by its ally the United States as a “hostile and unacceptable act incompatible with allied relations between the two countries.”

Worse, such a scandal could only be revealed by a fugitive former spy who might have sought refuge in Moscow. Because of the “Patriot Act,” no American would dare to reveal such sensitive information. Perhaps that was why, back in the 1950s, the late Adnan Menderes was trying to convert Turkey into a “little America.” With gigantic shopping malls on every corner, the increased number of Turkish greenback millionaires, the consolidation of a consumption economy, and negligible industrial production other than a robust assembling industry, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government has perhaps nearly achieved that goal over the past decade. A fictitious and perceptional wealth has been created; even though the worsened income distribution means that the vast majority of the country has received almost no share from that inflated wealth perception, a wealth balloon is currently up in the air. Just for the sake of the stability required to prevent the explosion of this wealth balloon, every sacrifice has become welcome in society and, sorry to say, the media.

The “little America” awoke one day to news that not only the “parallel state” - but also its ally, the Germans - was eavesdropping massively on Turks in all key executives, from the president and the absolutely-powerful prime minister down. How was this learned? Did a former spy, like in the American case, expose the sham? No. It was the German media that – of course, after intentional leaks from some deep throats in the intelligence network – discovered and exposed it.

Since the spying incident was exposed, the media is digging further into it, trying to find more details, while the opposition parties are bitterly criticizing the chancellor and her government of ineptitude, to say the least. The opposition is demanding that the Bundestag launches a probe into the affair. Democracy in Germany is trying to “clean its intestines” and the government has not been trying to cover up the sham.

Just close your eyes and assume for one second what would have happened if the newspaper that wrote first about the spying was a Turkish outlet and the agency that was caught red handed spying on an allied country was Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency (MİT). What would have happened?

First of all, the prime minister and president-elect would come up with anger pouring out of his wide-open eyes, yelling that it was “treacherous” to reveal the operations of the MİT. Everyone responsible would be severely punished. The newspaper and journalists involved in the preparation of the article would be punished, branded with being involved in “parallel state” activity. Worse, it would be claimed that the accusations were all fabricated by foreign countries irritated at Turkey’s fast growth and the gigantic projects in the pipeline.

Obviously, the issue would be prevented from being discussed in Parliament. A court would clamp down to censor such news, and the government would create another scandal to cover up the spying scandal…

Anything else?

Yes, everyone involved in the scandal would be promoted.