Gülenists calculate every detail to wiretap Erdoğan, indictment reveals

More details have surfaced about the Gülenists' wiretapping of the then prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, after an indictment regarding the investigation was submitted to court. The Gülenists planned every step in detail, according to the indictment.

The Ankara chief public prosecutor's office has prepared an indictment on 13 suspects, who are accused of wiretapping then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, charging the suspects with "political spying" after an investigation into the alleged offenders was completed.

The details revealed that the Gülenist suspect Serhat Demir set up a camp in the Justice Ministry's Education center after having placed bugs in Erdoğan's office and residence, since the bugs had the best signal at that location.

Demir who was an official at the chamber of Prime ministry protection, located in Istanbul, traveled to Ankara with the excuse of placing the bugs in the office. The head of the Gülenist team, Ali Özdoğan, who was responsible for placing the bugs, was not able to be involved in the act due to his absence, according to the indictment. Instead, Özdoğan, who was in the U.S during the time of the incident, assigned Demir to place the bugs in the office and the residence in his place. Demir, along with his team, who are allegedly linked to the Gülen movement, accessed the site using the excuse of 'security checks', and placed the bugs in the switch plug. Erdoğan was allegedly in Istanbul on the day the suspects were involved in the crime.

The findings also revealed that Demir, who have the excuse that his child was sick in order to gain leave, did not visit any health centers in Ankara. The indictment also asserted that Demir paid regular visits to the Justice Ministry's Education center during the days when the crime was allegedly being committed. It was also found that the suspects were simultaneously in touch with the US, where the leader of the Gülen movement resides.

The indictment prepared by the public prosecutor Durak Çetin was sent to Ankara's 7th high criminal court on Tuesday. The suspects, who have alleged links to the Gülen Movement, are charged with "political spying" in the indictment, and Erdoğan is listed as the plaintiff.
Demir who is believed to have escaped abroad on January 22, 2014 following the incident, has not yet returned to Turkey.

Hasan Palaz, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK)'s former chief, is among other suspects who are facing charges of wiretapping Erdoğan.

The court is expected to accept the indictment as long as it is not rejected within the next 15 days. The suspects will stand trial on charges of "political and military spying" once the court accepts the indictment. If they appear before the court, prosecutors will seek a sentence of 15 to 20 years for the suspects in accordance with article 328 of the Turkish Penal Code.

The Gülen Movement is seen as a national threat by the government. It is accused of wiretapping thousands of people including Turkish government officials, encrypting phones and allegedly infiltrating state institutions with the aim of overthrowing the government.