Wire-tap claims worry Turkish media

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan talks to party MPs in parliament

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has angrily dismissed as a "shameful montage" an audio recording that is alleged to show him talking to his son about hiding large sums of money.

He said the recording, allegedly a tapped phone conversation, was a "treacherous attack". Hours before the recording appeared on social media websites, the Turkish government alleged that a group of anti-government Turkish prosecutors had illegally wiretapped thousands of prominent figures.

Pro-government newspapers say targets reportedly included government ministers and business leaders who were allegedly tapped by supporters of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of the prime minister. Turkish media on Tuesday were disturbed by the revelations.

Abdulkadir Selvi in pro-government Yeni Safak

We are now face to face with a phone-hacking scandal that is bigger than Watergate… We now have a "Gulengate" scandal.

Ahmet Kekec in pro-government Star

The people who were listened to show us that the wiretaps were recorded for "blackmailing" purposes… The wiretaps also point to a "plan". A plan that might potentially have political implications.

Melih Asik in centrist Milliyet

Fethullah Gulen is based in Pennsylvania

We can also see that the "deep state" [said to be a network of army officers, business leaders, secularists and arch-nationalists seeking to undermine or overthrow elected governments] is gaining legitimacy… Actually a "secret police state" is being established. We are passing from an authoritarian order to a totalitarian one.

Hasan Celal Guzel in pro-government Sabah

Unfortunately, constitutional guarantees on "the privacy of private life" and "freedom of communication" have become just words.

Bulent Korucu in pro-Gulen Zaman

What is frightening is that wire-tapping has become so prevalent. I would tell the authorities to hold people accountable but this would be meaningless given that Prime Minister Erdogan is holding rallies every day by using recordings obtained via illegal wire-tapping.

Hakan Aksay on independent news website T24

These wiretaps are all allegations. Can we ignore them by saying that they have not been authenticated? No. This is because for a long time our country's political processes and struggles have already been conducted through wire-taps, blackmailing, strengthening intelligence, undermining people and cheap tricks.

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