The widespread eavesdropping cases that are being reveled in Turkey everyday shows there is a serious problem that has to be addressed b y the government and the state institutions. This does not fit a country that aims to join the European Union.

The Turkish constitution specifies in very clear terms that citizens will enjoy freedom of travel and communications. However, in practice this article of the constitution has been violated systematically in Turkey both by state institutions and even by private persons.

Phone tapping and eavesdropping has become a way of life for the security forces. In recent years authorities have ordered wide spread phone tapping in the name o preventing crime and terrorism. Under objections from western circlers eavesdropping has been subjected to some li8mitations at least on paper where the security forces need a court order for phone tapping.

However, this really has not deterred officials ordering phone tapping… A heavy penalties court in Ankara has recently given authority to the police to widely use phone tapping to "monitor" potential criminals. Of course such measures are open to abuse both by officials and individuals.

http://www.thenewanatolian.com/opinion-32363.html

Ros, are you trying to stir trouble? Very good article... could you provide the source please?

This sort of abuse of privacy is not peculiar to Turkey, it´s quite common in Europe and US (who are far more sophisticated at this than Turkey can ever be).  Let´s not be naive and point the finger only at Turkey.

I am afraid to say that phone tapping is not unique to Turkey.  There have been scandals all over the world regarding this.

In the UK, we have seen our fair share too....a good example being some highly embarassing phone conversations between Royals that were sent to the press and caused a huge scandal

Just google "phone tapping" and see all the headlines from all over the world come up

Telegraph:  "1000 phones tapped a day in the UK"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1576937/Phones-tapped-at-the-rate-of-1,000-a-day.html

Greece Rocked by Mobile Phone Tapping Scandal

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/06/greece_mobile_snooping_scandal/

The list is endless.

so are they gonna kick England out of the EU? see there is no freedom in England

"This does not fit a country that aims to join the European Union."

 Unfortunately, it seems not

Seems to be yet another Turkey bashing thread.   If they kick England out of the EU I hope they take Scotland with them.

Further to my earlier post, further proof that the worst offenders for phone tapping are Britain, Italy and the Netherlands!

Should we be kicked out of EU? I hope so

http://www.slate.com/id/2136147/

 Now that is bad! I never thought of the bad sides for the Netherlands to be in the EU though, I should read a bit more.

 What´s bashing about this? I love Turkey, and I´d very much like to stay informed and be able to talk about anything going on there, because only that way things can change. If we stay mouth-dead and pretend we all just read the ´happy newspaper´, nothing will change because nobody will notice something is wrong. But apart from that, I don´t see the bashing side here really.