Turkey will take precautions against spying, says President Gül

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Tukish President Gül said that necessary precautions were taken to prevent foreign spying activities. DHA Photo

Turkey will take the necessary precautions against spying in the event of foreign powers’ eavesdropping on Turkish figures, President Abdullah Gül said, regarding the latest reports of covert U.S. surveillance in Europe. 
 
“States have their own security measures. Protecting privacy is one of those security measures,” Gül told reporters during a visit to his Kayseri hometown on Oct. 25. 
 
“Our related institutions will take the necessary precautions carefully,” Gül added.
 
Reports that U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance on ally figures, including allegedly tapping into German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone, have sparked a vivid outcry. Merkel revealed her reaction to the U.S. President Barack Obama, telling him, “Spying between friends, that’s just not done.” 
 
Gül said similar scandals were breaking out from time to time and that some leaders at the United Nations General Assembly meeting voiced complaints about the matter.
 
Without showing great concern on the case, Gül also pointed that new communications technologies were always used first by state intelligence, but said the same technology enabled the ability to take precautions against such spying.
 
The main opposition asks for parliamentary investigations
 
Meanwhile, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has submitted a request to launch a Parliamentary inquiry concerning the NSA’s activities in Turkey.
 
A group of CHP deputies led by İzmir deputy Erdal Aksünger submitted a motion for a Parliamentary inquiry in order to examine whether the NSA has an office in Turkey and whether it has performed any eavesdropping activities in Turkey, the Anadolu Agency reported on Oct. 25.
 
The CHP’s request also asked if the potential NSA activities were monitored by Turkish officials.