IMM TRANSFERRED TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION DATA TO THE USA

After these statements targeting Türkiye’s engineers working in the defense industry, soldiers and government officials in critical positions, all eyes turned to the “Istanbul Transportation and Traffic Center of Excellence” agreement signed on September 22, 2020 between the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) and the USA for a grant of 5.1 million dollars. The then President of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was in prison for allegedly establishing a Criminal Organization for Profitable Purposes, signed the agreement on the management of Istanbul’s transportation data with the US Ambassador to Turkey at the time, David Satterfield, and announced the project to the public as a major technology move.

Within the scope of the agreement, it was announced that the software infrastructure of the US-based technology company SAS Institute would be used to analyze Istanbul’s traffic and transportation data. Within the data transferred to the USA, personal and strategic information such as citizens’ movements, pedestrian and vehicle routes, vehicle license plates, which Wi-Fi networks people connect to, which subway stations they use, and their stop and route preferences can be tracked instantly.

ALL DATA OF ISTANBUL IS IN THE USA

Analyzing traffic cameras, license plate recognition systems and transportation data of Istanbul, a city of 16 million people, through a foreign technology infrastructure has brought about a serious security debate for Türkiye. Through these systems, comprehensive data on vehicle movements in the city, license plate data and public transportation usage can be collected. Data such as what time a person leaves home, which routes they use, which metro stations they prefer and in which areas they are in the city can be analyzed through such systems.

SECURITY RISK FOR NAMES IN CRITICAL TASKS

It is known that these data collected through urban transportation and traffic systems can reveal not only traffic flow but also detailed movement information about people’s daily lives. This situation is of great importance, especially for people working in critical institutions of the state.

The possibility of monitoring the daily movements of people working in the army, police, intelligence and defense industry through city infrastructures is seen as a serious issue for Türkiye’s security. It is stated that the daily lives of critical officers working in the military, police, intelligence and high technology companies are monitored and recorded in this way. Sensitive information of these people, such as their commute to work, leaving home times, meal and tea breaks, sports and walking routines, is also instantly controlled by the USA.

RUBIN’S WORDS REMINDERED THE AGREEMENT

This was exactly the point that Rubin pointed out in his statements directly targeting Türkiye. Using harsh expressions towards Türkiye, Rubin openly targeted defense industry employees and government officials in Türkiye, saying that people monitored via traffic cameras could be targeted within minutes in the event of a conflict. While Türkiye’s successes in the defense industry in recent years and domestic technology moves continue to disturb some circles, Rubin’s words were considered a clear expression of this discomfort. While Rubin’s words targeting Türkiye brought the issue of processing Istanbul’s transportation and traffic data through foreign technology infrastructures to the agenda again, İmamoğlu’s offer of control of such critical systems to the USA in terms of Türkiye’s data sovereignty and national security caused a reaction once again.

The trial of 407 defendants, 107 of whom are detained, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, has begun in the case that allegedly caused 161 billion liras of public damage within the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and involved bribery and corruption in 143 actions. The hearing of the case, in which a prison sentence of up to 2,352 years was requested for former mayor İmamoğlu, was held by the Istanbul 40th High Criminal Court in the hall opposite the Marmara Closed Penal Institution. Before the hearing, gendarmerie teams carried out security checks in the hall and its surroundings.

HE DID NOT LISTEN TO THE WARNING

Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık, former CHP Deputy Aykut Erdoğdu, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor’s Advisor and Medya A.Ş., who were suspended from duty along with Ekrem İmamoğlu. Chairman of the Board of Directors Murat Ongun, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club President Fatih Keleş and his lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan were brought to the hearing from prison. Hüseyin Gün and CHP Council Member Baki Aydöner were connected via SEGBİS. Selim İmamoğlu, Hasan İmamoğlu, artist Ercan Saatçi and Ertan Yıldız were also present in the hall. CHP Chairman Özgür Özel and Dilek İmamoğlu also watched the hearing.

The presiding judge announced that the defendants who were not detained would be heard first. İmamoğlu’s lawyer requested, “Mr. Ekrem wants to make a greeting speech.” The President rejected this request, saying, “There is no such procedure.” When İmamoğlu came to the podium, the presiding judge warned, “Ekrem İmamoğlu, you cannot get up and come to the podium and speak as you wish.” For İmamoğlu, who continued to speak despite the warning, it was noted in the minutes that “he came to the podium and continued to speak even though he was not given the right to speak.” The President also said, “Take your seat.”

After the audience reacted in the hall, the court president ordered the gendarmerie to evacuate the hall. Later, İmamoğlu’s lawyer, Hasan Fehmi Demir, requested a recusal for the court panel.

It was announced that the hearings will be held on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until the end of April. Silivri District Governorate also banned meetings, banners, slogans and video shooting around the hearing until March 31.

HE WAGED HIS FINGER AT THE COURT

The court board rejected the defendant’s lawyers’ request for a recusal and stated that the hearing would continue today. When the hearing ended, İmamoğlu came to the podium, claimed that he was not given the right to speak, and made statements towards the delegation. The presiding judge reacted to the situation by saying, “You have been sabotaging this trial since you arrived.” Meanwhile, slogans were heard in the courtroom. Ekrem İmamoğlu made finger-pointing threats towards the delegation and the prosecutor. The hearing prosecutor said to İmamoğlu, “Put that hand down.”

AK Party Deputy Chairman and Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik evaluated the agenda in the TV program:

Iran was brutally attacked. There is no just basis for the US and Israel to attack Iran in this way. It has no legal basis. Who should set the diplomatic table from now on and why? There is no order left with this incident.

If another country declares war on a country whose regime it does not like, everyone will turn into a bloodbath. Attacking a country just for its regime or because that country has no right to defense is the very act of barbarism and aggression. We respect the will of the Iranian State and the Iranian people. Then a terrible scene emerges when a US senator uses words such as “this is a religious war”.

If the negotiation table had been in Türkiye, hosted by our President, the weight of this would have been different.

The fact that the USA is involved in this and that it is trying to cover it up with more severe attacks as the consequences of its lack of strategy become clear is creating a huge disaster.

We are on the side of peace, not war. We are on the side of diplomacy, not brute force. Türkiye has no fear of anyone. Türkiye’s answer is Türkiye’s power. It is the power of Türkiye’s own internal front. It is Türkiye’s security force. Türkiye is a country of trust. We see the bad intentions of those who want to show Türkiye outside its image of being a country of trust. Türkiye has been making total preparations for years.

President Erdoğan gave the following messages at the 17th Annual Ambassadors Iftar Program, which he attended with his wife Emine Erdoğan:

Over the last half century, we have repeatedly witnessed what foreign interventions and geopolitical engineering attempts have caused in the Middle East, and what great political, social and economic debris they have left behind. We do not want our region to experience the same pain again. We do not accept that the Middle East geography should be put into surgery again and put on the operating table again, just like it was a century ago.

We advocated ending the Russia-Ukraine war, which is now in its fifth year, with a just and sustainable peace agreement. We believe that an honorable solution can be found to every problem that threatens regional stability, our future and future generations. A new negotiation process is possible, in fact it should be. I underline that the war must be ended as soon as possible before it spreads further in our region.

Today, Türkiye is strengthening its position day by day as an island of stability in its region and a center of attraction in the adjacent geography. We believe that the NATO summit we will host in July during such a critical period will be conducive to strengthening peace and stability.

As a result of our strong commitment to global food security, we have decided to nominate Mehdi Eker for the position of Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization. We expect your valuable support in the elections to be held in July 2027.

President Erdoğan made statements after the cabinet meeting, which lasted approximately 2.5 hours. The highlights of Erdoğan’s statements are as follows:

We completed the cabinet meeting during the difficult days our region is going through. We especially discussed the Iranian crisis and its repercussions in our region. We analyzed scenarios including conflicts prolonging and spreading or getting out of control. As the government, we have been on alert with all our units since February 28 and we have mobilized all our units.

Neither our state nor our government is ever in a state of weakness. The Republic of Türkiye is strong and capable in every field, especially in diplomacy, defense and intelligence. Thank God, it has the capacity and power to repel all kinds of attacks and break the dirty hands that will reach out to its survival.

There is only one person and structure whose situation is deplorable. It is this person and his comrades who have failed to become Türkiye’s main opposition party. The attitude of ‘If we are not in power, we are not responsible’ is a wrong and selfish attitude. We do not expect him to behave any other way than the lack of horizons that until yesterday criticized the missile tests by saying ‘The fish are spooked’. We would not expect him to act otherwise than the incompetent man who until yesterday begged his interlocutors for a 5-minute meeting and told Western countries, “We will protect your interests best.”

This is not the day to blow up politics or tease people with absurd statements. Today is the day to act responsibly, to act a little more responsibly, at least until our region overcomes this danger. Let’s leave aside political opportunism and try to do Ankara-centered politics in this sensitive period. If you do not support our government’s efforts to protect Türkiye from this fire that surrounds it, at least do not hinder it.

Türkiye; It is on the side of right, justice, international law, peace and stability, just like in the Russia-Ukraine war, which is in its 5th year, in the Syrian civil conflict that has continued for 13.5 years, in Israel’s genocide and massacres in Gaza, and in the Iran crisis. It favors resolving conflicts through dialogue.

We leave nothing to chance. We are taking the necessary measures to keep the economic effects of the crisis to a minimum. The conflicts in our region create uncertainties on many topics. Such chaotic situations are a threat to unprepared economies, but manageable processes for those who are prepared.

PROVOCATION CONTINUES

The missile, which was detected to be directed towards our country after being fired from Iran on March 4 and passing into the airspace of Iraq and Syria, was neutralized by NATO. Despite our sincere warnings, extremely wrong and provocative steps continue to be taken that will put Türkiye’s friendship in trouble. We should not engage in a calculation that will cause deep wounds in the hearts and minds of our nation and cast a shadow over our thousand-year-old law of neighborliness and brotherhood.

Türkiye’s place and attitude are clear. His efforts to prevent the fire from spreading further and bloodshed are obvious. In the context of today’s incident, I remind you once again that one should not insist on making mistakes and be stubborn. We will follow the developments in coordination with NATO and our other allies and continue to take additional measures to strengthen our security.

Türkiye is no longer the old Türkiye. Everyone should make their calculations accordingly. The ambitions of those who set a trap for this prayerful nation will be thwarted. I emphasize once again that we are in the strongest position against any scenario that would disrupt the process of a terrorism-free Türkiye and deal a blow to the peace and future of our region. One should not fall into the trap of the Zionist massacre network, which pits brother against brother. We welcome the statements made by our brothers in the Iraqi Kurdish region. On the other hand, President Erdoğan had a telephone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Stating that Türkiye will continue to strive for permanent peace and stability, Erdoğan stated that the ballistic ammunition that entered Turkish airspace was neutralized. Aliyev also expressed his wishes for a speedy recovery regarding the ballistic ammunition in question.

I REFER THIS PERSON TO OUR NATION

(Reaction to the words of the CHP leader) We follow all developments with our staff experienced in crisis management and do not ignore any possibility. We do not let our guard down for a moment. Our goal is primarily to keep our country away from this fire. Ensuring the security of Türkiye and the peace of 86 million people is our greatest sensitivity in this process.

We don’t want even a single human being to be harmed. Despite those pouring gasoline on the fire, we are bringing water to the fire and struggling sincerely to control and extinguish the fire before it grows any bigger. In this struggle, we follow with caution the words of the head of the main opposition, which no one cares about, not even his own voters. In such a period where missiles are flying and the smallest mistake will lead to big problems, I refer this person who is taunting us and trying to earn a bonus to our beloved nation.

It is difficult for us to deal with this level of discourse, even if it is Türkiye’s main opposition. He says such things that we sometimes have to respond out of respect for our nation. The main opposition does not have a tangible foreign policy vision or crisis management. This is a sick approach. The policy followed by Türkiye from Europe to Asia is praised. Our nation understands what kind of policy our cabinet follows. However, with his statements, the head of the main opposition accuses the Republic of Türkiye of being in a deplorable situation.

FROM ERDOĞAN TO PEZEŞKİYAN: IT CANNOT BE EXCUSED

President Erdoğan spoke on the phone with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian. In the meeting held upon Pezeshkian’s request, Erdoğan stated that they did not find the unlawful interventions against Iran and Iran’s targeting of sister countries in the region appropriate and that they should be ended. Erdoğan noted that Türkiye was negatively affected by conflicts to which it was not a party, and that the violation of airspace could not be excused for any reason, and emphasized that they would continue to take the necessary measures. Expressing his deep sorrow for the loss of life, especially the children killed in the school attack, Erdogan told Pezeshkiyan and repeated his condolences for Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, and hoped that the election of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new leader would lead to peace in the region. Pezeşkiyan also said that the missiles entering Turkish airspace did not originate from Iran and that they would conduct a comprehensive investigation. ANKARA

The presiding judge announced that the defendants who were not detained would be heard first. İmamoğlu’s lawyer requested, “Mr. Ekrem wants to make a greeting speech.” The President rejected this request, saying, “There is no such procedure.” When İmamoğlu came to the podium, the presiding judge warned, “Ekrem İmamoğlu, you cannot get up and come to the podium and speak as you wish.” For İmamoğlu, who continued to speak despite the warning, it was noted in the minutes that “he came to the podium and continued to speak even though he was not given the right to speak.” The President also said, “Take your seat.”

After the audience reacted in the hall, the court president ordered the gendarmerie to evacuate the hall. Later, İmamoğlu’s lawyer, Hasan Fehmi Demir, requested a recusal for the court panel. It was announced that the hearings will be held on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until the end of April. Silivri District Governorate also banned meetings, banners, slogans and video shooting around the hearing until March 31.

HE WAGED HIS FINGER AT THE COURT

The court board rejected the defendant’s lawyers’ request for a recusal and stated that the hearing would continue today. When the hearing ended, İmamoğlu came to the podium, claimed that he was not given the right to speak, and made statements towards the delegation.