"A transparent country
YUSUF KANLI
During the so-called Ergenekon trial continuing at a special courtroom in Silivri Prison, it was revealed that almost nine months before a court allowed the wiretapping of the telephones of Mustafa Balbay, the Ankara representative of Cumhuriyet newspaper, some police intelligence officers had ordered and, indeed, began listening to Balbay’s telephone conversations. Not only that, people talking with Balbay, as well as other people under police surveillance within the Ergenekon probe, in which a secret group is accused of plotting to overthrow the country’s government, had their lines apparently tapped without any limitation. The illegal recording of the telephones of the reporters of Cumhuriyet was a widespread and gross violation of the country’s laws. In turn, most of the conversations were provided to the media, who, appreciating the information, proceeded to transform itself into a machine of character assassination."
More:A transparent country - Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review
