Turkey is reeling from an explosive report and subsequent media coverage of an alleged private intelligence service operating under and reporting to the president.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference to present the outcome of the G-20 summit, Hamburg, Germany, July 8, 2017.
According to Sozcu, Bulent Tezcan, the vice chairman and speaker of the main opposition Republican People's Party, presented evidence at a press conference that a "Presidential National Security Unit" has begun operations under the presidency. Tezcan pointed out that under Turkish law, only the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), the national police force and the gendarmerie can collect intelligence, leaving the new intelligence unit under Erdogan with no legal standing.
Some may question the veracity of the story. After all, no bill came to the Turkish parliament to establish a new intelligence service or allocate a budget to it or place the MIT chief under the president (MIT directly reports to the prime minister). At any rate, Sozcu is known for using colorful and even offensive language against Erdogan and his party.
But even in Turkey's oppressive media environment, many news organizations reported on the new intelligence outfit. The TV stations CNN Turk and NTV gave extensive coverage to Tezcan's allegations. Other respectable opposition websites also ran the story.
So far, Erdogan has remained silent on the matter and the Turkish government has downplayed the claims. The Directorate-General for Public Security (the national police force) released a written statement Aug. 9 explaining that a new unit did exist, but the name was just a shortened one for the Section to Combat Crimes Against National Security operating under the Smuggling and Organized Crime Department of the Turkish police department.
Still, given the explosive nature of the story, the allegations regarding Erdogan running his own private intelligence outfit from his palace will continue to receive coverage. After all, the Turkish president has already been accused of creating his own private army.