Turkish court passes indictment against wiretapping suspects

A court in Istanbul on Friday approved an indictment against 54 judges and prosecutors implicated in an alleged wiretapping plot.

The case is part of an investigation into the purported Selam-Tevhid organisation.

The 3,149-page indictment issued by Deputy Public Prosecutor of Bakirkoy district Omer Faruk Aydiner was approved by Bakirkoy's 2nd Criminal High Court.

The court will now send the indictment to the suspects and ask for evidence and defenses from them. The court will later decide whether a final probe will be opened or not.

If a final investigation begins, the 54 people will be tried at the Court of Appeal, known as Yargitay.

There are numerous charges against those named, including accusations of forming an armed terrorist group, political and military espionage, undermining the state, breaching privacy, forging official documents, fabricating crime and destroying evidence.

In July 2015, the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) suspended 49 out of 54 judges and prosecutors who also faced a travel ban imposed by the Bakirkoy court in November 2015.

Selam-Tevhid has been linked to the ‘parallel state' organization, which is said to be led by US-based preacher, Fetullah Gulen.

The network is accused of wiretapping senior government figures, including the prime minister, National Intelligence Organization chief, cabinet ministers as well as journalists through state officials.