Individuals within the state have illegally obtained video footage of various parliamentary deputies and are maintaining a collection of such tapes, an information technology expert who is also a deputy from the main opposition has claimed.

Eight deputies were threatened with video recordings during the voting on the new Constitution, claimed Tacidar Seyhan, a Republican People’s Party, or CHP, Adana deputy who is also an information technology and software expert.

“There is a reserve of illegally obtained videos of many deputies that are being released at critical moments. I have information on individuals within the state’s important institutions who are involved in this,” Seyhan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Reviews.

The CHP deputy made his claims as Turkey’s political parties continue to be rocked by an increasing number of tape scandals. In 2009, a metropolitan municipality mayor candidate was brought down with a sex tape. In 2010, former CHP leader Deniz Baykal was forced to resign after footage of the party chief and his former secretary, CHP Ankara deputy Nesrin Baytok, was leaked online. Shortly after, a sex tape involving CHP group deputy chairman Akif Hamzacebi was released.

Near the end of last year, Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, Ankara deputy Bekir Aksoy was hit with the release of a sex tape. Most recently, MHP Adana deputy Recai Yıldırım and Kırşehir deputy Metin Çobanoğlu were forced to drop out of the election after tapes were released of them with two women, filmed both inside and outside of homes.

“I think there are groups within the public institutions that do not have any official duties, but are involved in illegal activities. These groups form political connections from time to time, and illegally obtain audio and video recordings in order to shape the country’s politics,” Seyhan said, claiming that “footage from this collection of recordings is then used at critical moments as a threat factor,” according to “various serious rumors.”

“It is being said that there is footage on many deputies from both the opposition and the ruling party along with senior bureaucrats still in reserve. It is my opinion that these videos will be released in the future,” he said.

The politician claimed that eight deputies were threatened with video recordings prior to the Sept. 12, 2010, voting on a package of constitutional changes, and were told to vote “yes” if they wanted to keep the footage hidden. “Following that threat, videos were leaked online of certain deputies,” Seyhan said.

“These illegal practices are not only interfering with the political process, but are being used as threats during the execution of the legislative process” he said, repeating his claim that “individuals within public institutions” are responsible.

“If the ruling party does not take precautions against this matter, they will soon be the target of this illegal conspiracy,” Seyhan said. “Private life is under threat, and these illegal surveillance practices are a serious threat to democracy. The parties need to find a solution together.”

Source: here