Turkish PM denies government used illegal wiretaps

Istanbul - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday denied his government illegally tapped the phones of top jurists, responding to what has been an ongoing controversy over the surveillance of judges and other officials. According to media reports last week, government officials had listened to the phone conversations of several senior members of the judiciary, including Istanbul's chief prosecutor, and tried to tap the phones of one of the country's top courts.

The government was reportedly concerned that the jurists were part of a plot to topple it.

"None of the steps taken by the government is unlawful. There is no step taken without a court decision," Erdogan told reporters.

"The representatives of justice must themselves respect decisions made by the courts."

Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, Turkey's chief prosecutor, has launched an investigation to see if the tapping has violated the constitution, an act that would allow him to seek the closing of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Yalcinkaya had previously initiated a failed effort to ban the AKP.

Critics have accused the government of using the wiretaps for political purposes. According to Turkish law, wiretaps can only be used if a serious crime is suspected and it is not possible to collect evidence in another way.

Wiretaps have recently been used with greater frequency in Turkey, featuring prominently in an ongoing trial of a group of secularists, among them retired generals, who are accused of planning to overthrow the government.

Police recently arrested two men who allegedly had records of phone calls made by Erdogan between 1999 and 2004.