After criticism voiced by the Turkish Journalists Union (TGS) and the Contemporary Journalists Association (ÇGD), also the Press Institute Association condemned the telephone tapping of newspapers' switchboards.

"We cannot expect to freely establish relations to sources of the press in a country where telephone tapping becomes more widespread in a carefree manner. A threat to press freedom means a threat to democracy".

Former Deputy Chief of the Police Directorate, Emin Arslan, stated in a hearing at the Istanbul 9^th High Criminal Court on 28 May that the switchboards of Milliyet, Radikal, Posta and Fanatik newspapers were illegally wiretapped. While officials remained silent on the issue, professional press organizations expressed their protest:

TGS and ÇGD condemned telephone tapping

TGS President Ergan İpekçi argued, "It was us who revealed Ergenekon, it was us who reached the forces behind the 'deep' state". İpekçi indicated that neither the state nor the Prime Minister could abdicate from their responsibility for the telephone tapping. "Tapping of newspapers' switchboard and journalists' phones cannot be accepted in any aspect related to freedom of expression in the media".

Head of the ÇGD, Ahmet Abakay, criticized, "There is a common guilt if the political power does not take measures. Somebody has to be responsible for the state's bugging devices. Was that TİB [Telecommunication Communication Presidency] or was it the Minister of Justice? Whoever, they should be called to account at court".

Press Institute: Totally carefree and illegal...

The latest announcement came from the Press Institute Association. The Association emphasized that the telephone tapping of the Milliyet newspaper switchboard after the same happened at Cumhuriyet newspaper before constituted a severe violation of press freedom and freedom of expression in Turkey. "Officials should declare which newspaper switchboards have been wiretapped as soon as possible", the Association demanded.

"Procedures and reasons for telephone tapping are clearly defined by law. Nevertheless, the bugging of the switchboards was carried out beyond any legal framework and thus became absolutely carefree and illegal".

Defendant Emin Arslan is tried because of drug trafficking and was released pending trial in his first hearing. If his claims are true, the freedom of obtaining information was violated in hundreds of cases since up to 850 employees of four different newspapers allegedly were wiretapped.

Issue will be clarified if TİB discloses referring data

In the same hearing, Arslan stated that IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers of Milliyet newspaper were bugged as well due to news concerned with the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

Arslan claimed that phones of journalists, politicians, members of the judiciary and officers were wiretapped. He said that all the information would be revealed if the court demanded the acquisition of the referring data from TİB. (EÖ/VK)