Allegations that the government bugged Republican People’s Party (CHP) Secretary-General Önder Sav’s private office without authorization were proven false when the daily that sparked the controversy revealed the source of the conversation transcript the CHP had based its accusations on.

Politician: What is the political atmosphere like in Bolu?
Governor: Your job is not that easy. However, it wouldn’t be right to give up just because it is difficult.

Politician: Do you have the determined and careful human resources required to facilitate the political formation that will win the public over in the town?

Governor: Yes, we do, albeit small. It is necessary to know that we don’t have many people.

Politician: How do you view Bolu, in particular from the political perspective? What can be done?

Governor: Bolu’s base is the Republican People’s Party [CHP]. We can see that the CHP’s votes are growing — particularly in local elections. If a large group is established in Bolu, things could change for the better for the CHP to such an extent that the CHP may well win the elections.

This dialogue is from a conversation that took place between Önder Sav, the CHP secretary-general, and Mehmet Ali Serindağ, the former governor of Bolu, who has been relieved of duty through a recently enacted bylaw on governors. I should first of all note that this type of relationship and conversation should never take place between a political party official and the highest-ranking bureaucrat who represents the state in his province. It’s impossible for us to approve of either this dialogue or relationship. An understanding of public administration based on impartiality and a democratic culture never allow for such a relationship or dialogue.

Being a high-ranking CHP official, Sav’s conversation with a governor who is still in office as if this governor was a party official from the province and the governor sincerely adopting this role reveals the level of the symbiotic relationship known to exist between the CHP and the bureaucracy. If we remember that this party’s past is riddled with fascist practices such as appointing governors from among those who were also the heads of party organizations in the provinces, the gravity of the situation increases.

Without a doubt, these conversations cater to the suspicions and the claims that the CHP has ties to the bureaucracy, the judiciary and the military. It is a prevalent opinion that the CHP, which has repeatedly failed to win the right to represent people democratically by losing one election after another, has the power to mobilize all the military, civil and bureaucratic elements in line with its own political agenda. This is a valid enough reason for the public to anticipate a statement from the CHP regarding its deep reach into the state, particularly after the exposure of the above conversation, because this type of relationship evokes memories of the CHP despotism which is still fresh in our social memory, while strengthening the doubts that all the recent undemocratic bureaucratic and judicial interventions into the democratically elected political power have been made through the coordination of the CHP.

On the other hand, however unacceptable the content of this dialogue between CHP Secretary-General Sav and former Bolu Governor Serindağ may be, the coverage given to this dialogue in newspapers — in whatever fashion it may be — is unacceptable in terms of our democratic culture and individual rights. All illegitimate acts, such as illegal wiretapping, which violates the privacy of people and institutions, deserve — as much as the CHP’s illegitimate pretension to be the political power not based on public support — to be condemned in the harshest way possible.

However, I should not fail to note that the CHP’s statement that Sav’s office was wiretapped is but an unproven claim, because nothing so far has been found during efforts to uncover the source. This being the case, the CHP’s attempt to stir up winds of political terrorism and to transform the situation into a regime crisis based solely on its own claims is completely incomprehensible. What is currently in our hands is nothing but the conversation, which proves the constantly mentioned deep and organic bonds between the CHP and bureaucrats. And the authenticity of this conversation was proven by a speech delivered by CHP leader Deniz Baykal during a press conference held on Wednesday. Much as we can’t approve of the way it was obtained, we can comfortably state that this conversation has made it into the annals of history. With the exception of this concrete proof, the statements of the CHP, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the government do not go beyond being claims. Who is right or wrong will be determined at the end of the investigation launched by the chief prosecutor’s office.

Conversely, the claim of the Vakit newspaper, which has become a party to the incident by publishing the Sav-Serindağ dialogue, is not based on wiretapping. They say that they directly listened to the dialogue through a mobile phone conversation which Sav forgot to end. Executives at Vakit noted that they can prove their claim using Türk Telekom records upon a request by the chief prosecutor’s office.

It’s of utmost importance to state at this point that if it is found out in the investigation that the statements of Vakit executives are true, there will be no choice left for Baykal, who has left nothing negative unsaid and has slandered the government, the police and a certain segment of society, but to apologize and resign in a dignified way. We will see whether Baykal and his close staff will resign with dignity or continue doing politics at the cost of trampling it.

The wiretapping of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) headquarters is a very grave situation despite the ruthlessness, rashness and inconsiderateness of CHP leader Deniz Baykal’s statement about it. The duty of taking the very first action is incumbent on the government and the judiciary.

It is a clear that the CHP doesn’t pursue the illegal activities in the state surrounding Ergenekon-type criminal formations. It is also clear that Mr. Baykal sends his salutations to Ergenekon suspects from under Parliament’s roof and supports them, that he disregards the Şemdinli case. It is obvious that he is not concerned with the fact that the Hrant Dink murder had been known beforehand, with the connection between the hand grenades thrown at the Cumhuriyet newspaper and the Council of State murder, with the coup attempts named Ayışığı and Sarıkız or with anything illegal and any contraventions of law committed against the state.

So be it. Let the CHP play the democrat only in regard to what concerns itself. However, now the real democrats — those real democrats who are not democratic only toward themselves — should stand up to this inhuman practice and should insist that the perpetrators be exposed and brought to justice. The rule of law is a necessity for everybody. One of the obstacles hampering our democratization process is infringements upon people’s private lives. Perpetrating the worst type of backbiting by prying into people’s mistakes, faults, and embarrassing imperfections and then revealing them to millions of people through the media can never be condoned or tolerated. Nobody can say, ‘Oh, they asked for it!’ Yes, it is also true that the CHP is trying to pursue political interests in this situation. Accusing ‘the deep state in the AK Party’ and turning a blind eye to the real deep state is enough to show the aim of the CHP is ‘eating grapes while beating the tar out of the winegrower.’

Actually, who was the CHP wiretapped by?

One of the most striking answers to this question has been given by Professor Mahir Kaynak, a former intelligence chief of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT): ‘This is a plot devised against the AK Party. Let’s presume they did wiretap the CHP; they would have hidden that. They would never say, ‘O people, know that we have been wiretapping the CHP!’ This is nonsensical. Operations are being carried out in the country. The real problem is that the society and the elites buy into such stuff.’

There is another aspect of the matter. Some people who always await such opportunities just jump at them and start asking questions such as, ‘Have the police formed a special wiretapping unit? And are the members of this unit affiliated with a certain religious congregation?’ in their publications to send a message to certain segments of society, confuse people and establish targets. Particularly while the glorious wind of the Turkish Language Olympics is moving, exciting and encouraging the entire nation, they are trying to cast a blight on the people of the heart committed to the cause of serving humanity.

They perpetrate this same thing remorselessly and heinously every time an important incident hits the headlines across the country. The Şemdinli prosecutor writes an indictment, and here they are, saying, ‘This prosecutor grew up in the ‘enlightenment houses’ of the Gülen movement.’ Certain Web sites carry out the most despicable denigration campaigns against the top-ranking officer of our armed forces and some newspapers, in a most contemptible and dishonorable manner, run news articles claiming, ‘These sites are controlled by such and such congregation.’ Today, we all know from the chief of general staff’s statements who these despicable denigration campaigns are operated by. The security forces have been risking their lives, tirelessly carrying out operations against the Ergenekon criminal network, and the same newspapers label them as ‘the units of the congregation within the police.’

And now there is this wiretapping incident. The same newspapers and TV stations have started spreading misinformation again by making publications or broadcasts that begin with, ‘The congregation members in the police.’ The slanders in these media organs have been refuted by courts thousands of times over. The slanderers have been fined and sentenced. If those who make these claims are honest people and really support the supremacy of the truth, why are they not questioning the fact that the necessary legal steps are not being taken? This is my first question. Right, this country has many other intelligence agencies in addition to the intelligence bureau of the police department; it has MİT, JİTEM and there is also military intelligence. Why on earth is the state not taking any legal action against these accusations against innocent people? This is my second question.

Casting a shadow on innocent people is as immoral and merciless an act as the immoral and illegal act of wiretapping. Extrajudicial execution is a nauseating media practice.”

Unusual things are happening in Turkey. At a time when the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) closure case is being reviewed at the Constitutional Court, one of the 11 members of the court met with Turan Çömez. Who is Çömez?

He is a former AK Party member who left the party on unfriendly terms and has been making offensive remarks and statements directed at the leader of his former party. Is it proper that Constitutional Court member Osman Paksüt appeared in the same place as this person? It is at least politically incorrect.

Çömez held another meeting with Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal following the meeting with Paksüt. His political traffic is busy. Something serious took place amid these interesting developments. Paksüt and his wife asserted that they were being chased and that they were wiretapped; subsequently, they called the Ankara police chief to the scene. The allegation is fairly serious. However, some time later, the Paksüt family preferred to remain silent on the matter. Why? It has become apparent that there was no incident of chasing or wiretapping. Another police officer who was at the scene of the alleged incident asked whether Paksüt’s wife would use a parking spot; otherwise he intended to do so. The police do not even recognize the Paksüt family. Interior Minister Beşir Atalay, who initiated a thorough investigation into the incident, underlines that everything was under control in regard to the matter and that there remained no single question unanswered. In a press conference, he said everything is clear on the matter. Who cares? While the police were in charge of making an investigation into another incident, Paksüt’s wife made an inference based on the condition of a rear tire on her car, assuming that the car had been planted with a wiretapping device. In this way, she made a historical mistake. The incident has been adequately explained, and some circles are still busy with the fabrication rather than the true details of the case.

Let us move on to the case of Önder Sav. This gentleman made offensive remarks to a CHP member who stated his eagerness to perform the hajj at a party meeting in Elmadağ. A Cihan news agency reporter was also at the meeting. The audience, viewers and even the party management was aware of his presence at the venue. Recently, some papers reported this as ‘secret recording.’ Nothing could be said on this matter. The renowned Hürriyet daily and Vatan, which was recently sued by the chief of general staff for false reports, presumed that the news report prepared by Cihan was a secret record.

The Turkish people expect an apology from Sav. He has failed to make an apology; furthermore, CHP leader Baykal is also hesitant to take steps on this matter. Is it that difficult to apologize to the Muslims because you made offensive remarks in regards to the hajj and Islam? While Sav carefully avoided media attention following the incident, the CHP cried, ‘The party has been wiretapped.’ Here is another bugging scandal.

What was the case? A governor met with the CHP secretary-general at the party’s headquarters, where he put forward his opinions on how the CHP could win in the city where he served as a former governor. A transcript of the meeting was subsequently published by the Vakit daily. So? The party must have been wiretapped for the transcript to be published verbatim. If the allegation is true, the situation is grave. Let us deal with illegal wiretapping, and ask ‘Are you taking this country to fascism?’ We have to ask this question. But what if the essence of the issue is not related to wiretapping? What if the CHP and Sav seek to escape from massive criticism by relying on such actions and plan to put the ruling party in a difficult position? The person who made the speech is known; the speaking venue is known; the reporter who narrated the speech and the whole incident is known. While this is the case, some have accused individuals who had nothing to do with the case. This is not happening for the first time. Some rely on the famous legend of the religious community following every controversial incident to clear their part in the case. Where is the evidence? The owner of the allegation has to prove their assertion. Is it fair to accuse a party of wiretapping and then force it to prove that it did no such thing? What kind of logic can make this kind of inference? It is dishonest to wiretap people in illegal ways. But it is also dishonest to launch black propaganda against uninvolved circles, alleging that they should be held responsible for the wiretapping. This country suffers from fear of bugging; but this bug has taken captive not only some rooms but also some hearts that rely on prejudices and defamation.”

Watergate scenes in Ankara: Who bugged the CHP? – Turkish Daily News May 29, 2008: ” It was two weeks ago when the Constitutional Court’s Vice President Osman Paksüt alleged he was being stalked, and yesterday a political party also denounced security officials for eavesdropping on private meetings in the party’s headquarters and providing the illegally acquired information to an Islamic daily, likening it to a Turkish Watergate.

Leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, Deniz Baykal claimed that the room of the party’s general secretary was bugged by security forces, and tapped conversations were leaked to an Islamic daily, Vakit, at a press conference yesterday.

Some illegal organizations nestled within state institutions are systematically employing technological means against some citizens. It is obviously the government who controls these actions, Baykal said.

Ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, Vice President Dengir Mir Mehmet Fırat accused Baykal of being paranoid and speaking nonsense, during a press conference.

Fırat said the conversation between the CHP’s general secretary, Önder Sav, with former Bolu Governor Ali Serindağ, which was published in daily Vakit, is ugly talk, and it is a violation of law. ‘We will take Baykal’s claims to court. We will make him carry the burden of his words, and stay committed to this,’ he said.

Interior Minister Beşir Atalay said he ordered the Ankara governor to file a criminal complaint, and summoned prosecutors to investigate claims. We must shed light on this event, if the claims are true, it is a dire violation not only of law, but also of ethics, Atalay said.

The Islamic daily and the formation within the state was unveiled and they were caught red handed. Turkey has never witnessed such an incident before, said Baykal, and compared the event to the Watergate scandal in the United States, when a series of illegal eavesdropping activities were discovered to be authorized by the then U.S. President Richard Nixon, ultimately leading to his resignation in 1974.

The party headquarters were thoroughly searched, but no trace of bugging was found, raising suspicions that the office was being tapped from outside the party’s premises.

Atalay nevertheless criticized Baykal for going too far in his claims. Baykal said security structure is responsible for the tapping. But as yet there is no full investigation. I reject Baykal’s words. If he has some information, he should share it with us, Atalay said, stressing that spewing unfounded accusations is wrong.

If a similar thing happened in any democracy in the world, the responsible minister and prime minister would leave his post immediately, Baykal argued.

CHP takes parliamentary action

Sav said his private meeting with Serindağ on May 23 was published word by word in an �Islamic daily� (Vakit) with the title �As If He Is a CHP Governor.� �I called Serindağ, who was reappointed to the center, and wanted to console him. Our conversation lasted for about an hour, and he left my office. Governor Serindağ called me Sunday and told me that people claiming to work for this daily asked him about our meeting,� Sav said and accused a deep network within the state. Serindağ refused to comment on the event.

The CHP’s acting group parliamentary leader, Kemal Anadol, said his party is preparing a motion of censure on claims of bugging. Anadol pointed to the accuracy of the report in Vakit. �It is published exactly the same, as if they were assembly minutes,� Anadol told reporters. The CHP will take the incident to the assembly’s agenda either through a motion of censure or a parliamentary inquiry, said Anadol. Acting party group member, Suha Okay, urged Atalay to resign, and called on prosecutors to take the necessary action.

MHP is concerned, too

The Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, voiced similar concerns yesterday. The MHP’s general secretary, Cihan Paçacı, said his party’s officials harbor the same doubts of being tapped. �It must be found out who has these instruments and for what purposes they use them,� Paçacı said, noting that he would support a discussion in Parliament on the question, if a motion of censure is submitted by the CHP.

Interior minister rejects jurist’s claims

Paksüt had shared his suspicions in mid-May on being followed for the past two months. Paksüt’s concerns had drawn particular attention as the court is working on important cases like the closure case against the AKP.

�Mine is not a groundless suspicion. I have been stalked by vehicles of the same type for the last two months. The license plate of one of the vehicles turned out to be fake,� Paksüt had said.

Atalay maintained that it was revealed that no tapping was involved at all in Paksüt’s case during yesterday’s press announcement. ”

(Via .)