Baku, Azerbaijan, April 10
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Six police officers suspected of illegal wiretapping the phone conversations of state officials have been arrested in Turkey, Turkish Anadolu agency reported on April 10.
Two unnamed senior members of the police are among the arrested.
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 of Turkish intelligence, Hakan Fidan was wiretapped as well.
After this, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Fethullah Gulen as the representative of his movement to stand 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 Fethullah Gulen not to intervene in Turkey's internal affairs and accused the U.S. of supporting him.
The council member of Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party, Mazhar Bagli said that all 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, Turkish Journalists and Writers Foundation.
Translated by L.Z.
Edited by C.N.