14 officers detained for unlawful wiretapping operation


Fourteen police officers, who are alleged to have ties to the Gülen Movement, were detained on Monday morning by the prosecutor's office in the ongoing investigation into unlawful wiretapping that took place in various cities including Antalya, Mersin, Hatay, Şanlıurfa and Diyarbakır.It was reported that the detainees are being interrogated for unlawfully wiretapping 137 phones, and are facing charges of "establishing and administering an organization to commit crime, violating the confidentiality of communications and private life, forgery of official documents and fabricating crimes."Among the detained include a former intelligence chief and his assistant, a deputy police chief, a commissioner, and a number of officers. The detainees are currently being interrogated by the prosecutor's office. Tens of police officers that are allegedly affiliated with the Gülen Movement have been detained throughout the country for a number of charges including unlawful wiretapping, espionage and attempting to overthrow the government. The Gülen Movement, led by U.S.-based imam Fethullah Gülen who lives in a selfimposed exile in rural Pennsylvania, is accused of wiretapping thousands of people including Turkish government officials and encrypted phones.