Turkey and Russia react with fury to G20 spying revelations

Last edited Mon Jun 17, 2013, 11:31 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: Guardian

Turkey and Russia have angrily rounded on the British government and demanded an explanation following revelations that their politicians and senior officials were spied on and bugged during the 2009 G20 summit in London.

The foreign ministry in Ankara said it was unacceptable that the British government had intercepted phonecalls and monitored the computers of Turkey's finance minister as well as up to 15 others from his visiting delegation. If confirmed, the eavesdropping operation on a Nato ally was "scandalous", it added.

The ministry summoned the UK's ambassador to Ankara to hear Turkey's furious reaction in person. A spokesman at the foreign ministry read out an official statement saying: "The allegations in the Guardian are very worrying … If these allegations are true, this is going to be scandalous for the UK. At a time when international co-operation depends on mutual trust, respect and transparency, such behaviour by an allied country is unacceptable."

The Guardian revealed that the UK secret wiretapping agency, GCHQ, targeted Mehmet Şimşek, the Turkish finance minister and a former Merrill banker, during a G20 economics meeting hosted in London in September 2009. It also considered monitoring the communications of 15 named members of his staff and of Turkey's central bank. It is not clear which if any of the staff members was ultimately placed under surveillance.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/17/turkey-russia-g20-spying-gchq

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Turkey demands explanation over UK spying claims.

Claims that Britain spied on foreign governments attending G20 meetings in London in 2009 would "constitute a scandal" if true, Turkey has said.

Its foreign ministry demanded answers over reports Turkish diplomats were among those who had their computers monitored and phones intercepted.

It described the reports as "alarming".

When asked, UK PM David Cameron refused to comment on the reports, said to be based on documents obtained by American whistleblower Edward Snowden.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22938073