Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11
By Rufiz Hafizoglu -Trend:
Some150 officials were dismissed from the various government agencies regarding illegal wiretapping, the Turkish Interior Minister Efka Ala says.
At present time, the measures are being taken for identification of the organizers of illegal wiretapping, the Turkish Anadolu newspaper quotes the minister as saying.
Turkish media reported on Feb. 25 that in 2011 telephone conversations of about 7,000 people associated with the representatives of both the ruling and opposition parties, including family members of the PM were wiretapped, as part of the anti-terrorist operation carried out by the Istanbul prosecutor's office against the Salam terrorist organization.
During the anti-terrorist operations, telephone conversations of the head Turkish intelligence, Hakan Fidan were wiretapped as well.
After this, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Fatullah Gulen [Islamic public figure who currently resides in the United States], and representatives of his movement of standing behind the wiretapping of the phone conversations.
Erdogan also stressed that Gulen's movement, which he earlier called as a 'parallel structure', with its anti-state activities proved that it is not a religious movement, but a politicized and illegal structure.
Earlier, the prime minister called on Gulen not to intervene in Turkey's internal affairs and accused the U.S. of supporting him.
The member of the Council of the ruling Justice and Development Party of the country, Mazhar Bagli said that all the actions of Gulen and his supporters are aimed at undermining the country's national interests.
Gulen is the founder of the Hizmet public movement, as well as, the Turkish Journalists and Writers Foundation.
Translated by S.I.
Edited by C.N.