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A banner featuring a picture of Turkey PM A banner featuring a picture of Turkey PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan outside a souvenir shop in Gaza City outside a souvenir shop in Gaza City, June 6, 2010. | |
Photo by: AP |
“The equipment was purchased to fight terror but if someone listened to other people it should be exposed,” Guner said.
The Turkish army said in a statement that it has launched an investigation into whether the system was used illegally.
Political activists allegedly targeted by the wiretaps are planning to sue those responsible, as Turkish law prohibits the military’s electronic communications command from installing wiretapping equipment. Only Turkey’s national intelligence organization, the police and the gendarmerie, a branch of the military responsible for maintaining public order, may install such equipment, after receiving permission from the court and the Communications Ministry.
Though Israel supplies Turkey with aerial drones and electronics used to fight terror, Ankara has also accused Israel of being behind PKK attacks. PKK actions increased immediately after the flotilla to Gaza, and critics allege that Israel wants to use them to show that it can strike at Turkey’s soft underbelly.
Report: U.S. to cancel drills
The anti-government newspaper Hurriyet reported yesterday that the United States planned to cancel its participation in military exercises with Turkey in October, ostensibly to force Turkey to invite Israel, which has taken part in the exercises since 2001.
However, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Ankara said the U.S. had already participated in two such exercises this year and traditionally did not take part in more than two per year.
The spokesman made no reference to Israel’s exclusion. But last year, after Turkey excluded Israel from a joint exercise, both the United States and Italy canceled their participation.
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