News - Hurriyet: Turkey demands from Western intelligence to inform about its activities

Western intelligence organizations will no longer be able to carry out operations in Turkey without providing relevant information to Ankara, the Hurriyet daily reported, citing an anonymous diplomat. According to him, a "quite significant event" happened some time ago. "Some Western intelligence organizations have been given the opportunity to do business in Turkey, to come and go without permission. For example, a Western reconnaissance plane arrives, stays for a while and leaves, or something like that. However, they were not providing any information about who was on the plane and what he was doing," the diplomat said. According to him, Ankara, in accordance with Turkey's national position, stated that "such operations cannot be carried out without providing relevant information [to the Turkish side.]" According to the source of the aforementioned daily, the reaction of the Western special services was harsh, but Ankara did not retreat from its principled position. "At first they [i.e. the Western special services] reacted strongly. They disseminated information that it means support for Iran. But it was in vain because Turkey, as an independent state, demonstrated its national position. It was said that, ‘If you are going to do something, give [us] information [about it],’" said the diplomat.