Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan yesterday denounced as “villainous” the leaking of a recording of top security officials discussing possible military action in Syria to the video-sharing site You Tube.
Turkish authorities ordered a shutdown of the site.
Erdogan’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called the posting, an audio file with photographs of the officials involved, a “declaration of war” – an apparent reference to an escalating power struggle between Erdogan and rivals.
The anonymous posting followed similar releases on social media in recent weeks that Erdogan has cast as a plot by his political enemies, particularly a Turkish Islamic cleric based in the US, to unseat him ahead of Sunday’s elections. But it took the campaign to a higher level, impinging on a highly sensitive top-level meeting of security officials.
They even leaked a national security meeting
“They even leaked a national security meeting,” Erdogan said at a campaign rally. “This is villainous, this is dishonesty ... Who are you serving by doing audio surveillance of such an important meeting?”
Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the recording. The account posted what it presented as a recording of intelligence chief Hakan Fidan discussing possible military operations in Syria with Davutoglu, Deputy Chief of military Staff Yasar Guler and other top officials.
Speaking to reporters in Kutahya, Davutoglu confirmed the meeting took place and said: “A cyber attack has been carried out against the Turkish Republic, our state and our valued nation. This is a clear declaration of war against the Turkish state and our nation.”
Turkish authorities said they had taken an “administrative measure” to impose a block on You Tube, a week after they blocked access to microblogging site Twitter.
Erdogan has been the target of anonymous internet postings suggesting his involvement in corruption. He denies the allegations and accuses a former ally, Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, of unleashing a campaign to undermine him ahead of Sunday’s elections.
Gulen, who has a large network of followers in the police, denies any involvement in the postings and in police graft investigations impinging on Erdogan and his family. The Foreign ministry said the recording was of a crisis management meeting to discuss threats stemming from clashes in Syria.