FM Davutoğlu tones down allegations over leaked Syria audio
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu appears to have stepped back from earlier allegations of “parallel state” involvement in a high-profile leak, saying that an intensive investigation into the leak of a conversation between state officials allegedly discussing a false-flag operation in Syria is still under way, adding that no media reports or allegations should be relied on until the results of the investigation are released.
The audio, which was posted on YouTube around noon on March 26, was a recording of a top-secret conversation between Davutoğlu, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu, National Intelligence Organization (MİT) head Hakan Fidan and Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Güler, who are said to be heard discussing whether Turkey should stage a military incursion into Syria ahead of the March 30 local elections.
Davutoğlu, who was very quick to attribute the leaked audio to the “parallel state” at an election rally in Konya province on March 28, later confessed at a press conference that he had made the claim without any concrete evidence, adding that he was only expressing his opinion during his speech at the election rally.
Davutoğlu hosted Albanian Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati at his office in Ankara on Thursday. Asked about the leaked audio at a joint press conference held after the meeting, Davutoğlu said that it would be wrong to trust any reports or allegations until the results of the investigation are released. Adopting a cautious tone this time around, Davutoğlu said: “A very serious and detailed investigation is being conducted by police units and intelligence units. … We have to wait for the conclusive statement about the issue and it would be better to rely on the results to be released in that statement. The intelligence organization [the National Intelligence Organization, or MİT] has been working rigorously on the issue and is considering all possibilities, including both internal and external links.”
Davutoğlu predicted reports and comments in media outlets before the final statement is released, but added that the people should only take the statement into consideration, not the media reports.
Pro-government newspapers have been contradicting each other about the Syria audio leak. The pro-government Akşam daily claimed in a report published on April 4 that the Foreign Ministry had been wiretapped with the aid of a special drone operated by the parallel structure and capable of conducting audio surveillance and wiretapping phone conversations. Parallel structure is a term that the government uses to refer to the faith-based Hizmet movement inspired by the teachings of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
After no evidence was found to back up Akşam's claims, pro-government dailies Sabah and Takvim claimed on Thursday that the wiretapping was conducted through a bug installed in Davutoğlu's office telephone. The pro-government dailies also claimed the bug had been installed by a ministry official affiliated with the parallel state.
Pro-government dailies have drawn criticism for their flood of one-sided reports casting a favorable light on the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) since a major corruption scandal erupted on Dec. 17 of last year.
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