More than 70,000 telephones in Turkey are currently officially under electronic surveillance, daily Radikal reported Sunday.
Radikal said it was the first media institution to have visited the Telecommunications Directorate, or TİB, in Ankara, the institution responsible for installing and maintaining telephone surveillance by court order.
Exactly 71,538 telephones have been tapped by TİB through court orders, among which 65 percent have ostensibly been tapped to gather intelligence on terrorism and organized crime, Radikal reported.
Wiretaps for the purpose of gathering intelligence can be requested by intelligence institutions to prevent crimes from being committed.
The remaining 35 percent of surveillance is being carried out because of strong suspicions that a crime has been committed and no other way to obtain evidence. (more)
