Probe deepens to find perpetrators of espionage

ANKARA

Leaks from a meeting including Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan (pictured) and Foreign Minister Davutoğlu have rocked Turkish politics.

The probe launched after the leak of an illegal recording of a high-level security meeting has been deepened, amid claims that the office of the foreign minister has been listened to for over a year.

Led by Ankara Prosecutor Fethi Şimşek, the former head of the Telecommunications Directorate (TİB), the probe was launched on claims of spying and is now focused on finding the perpetrators.

Initial findings of the probe suggest that although the office of the foreign minister was being listened to for over a year, the bugs could never be found as they were being removed and replaced periodically, CNNTürk reported on March 28.

After the incident, Davutoğlu’s office and all other strategic rooms of the ministry were searched, with the involvement of cyber-crime experts. The National Intelligence Organization (MİT) is also involved in the investigation with its counter-intelligence and technology experts.

Although the probe has yet to be finalized, it is believed that the meeting was recorded by a hi-tech bug. Ministry personnel, especially those who have access to the minister’s office, are being questioned and camera surveillance records are also being investigated.