Turkish MP bargains with wiretapping device seller during panel

ANKARA – Hürriyet

Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputy Hasip Kaplan, AA photo

Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputy Hasip Kaplan showcased how easy it was to order wiretapping equipment in Turkey, speaking directly to a seller via phone during a Parliamentary panel tasked with dealing with illegal eavesdropping.

It is widely known that wiretapping devices are being sold. Can’t you inspect them?” Kaplan asked the panel during a session in Ankara yesterday.

Told that purchasing such equipment was not that easy, Kaplan responded proactively. He searched for wiretapping devices on a search engine via his mobile phone, choosing the first hit. He then called the seller, while allowing the other participants in the meeting to listen in on his bargaining with the seller.

“You can do both audio surveillance and wiretapping [with this device], brother,” said the unidentified seller.

Kaplan told the related commission that 200 questions on the issue remained unanswered.

A commission was formed in late January to take precautions to outline and prevent violations of freedom of communication and the secrecy of private life.

There has been great interest from ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies about joining the parliamentary commission.

Illegal wiretapping became a hot issue late last year after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan went public on Dec. 21, 2012, claiming that wiretapping devices had been found in his home office.