The Presidency of Communications Directorate’s Disinformation Combat Center (DMM) made statements regarding the allegations that “the data of 85 million citizens was stolen and the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) requested help from Google.”
The statement said that the allegations in question were completely unfounded and did not reflect the truth. DMM stated that a dialogue between Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and members of the press was distorted and presented in a manipulative manner.
Claims of Personal Data Stolen from Free Web Turkey
Free Web Turkey, which publishes on freedom of expression and the internet, claimed in a report published on September 9 that the personal data of 108 million people registered with official institutions in Turkey had been stolen.
According to the allegations in the news, the data allegedly stolen is not limited to living citizens. The data set also includes personal information of deceased individuals, foreigners who entered the country for touristic or business purposes, and registered immigrants. Free Web Turkey states that this extensive data breach covers both people who are in Turkey and those who entered the country legally.
Manipulation Warning: Claims Do Not Reflect Reality
In the statement made by DMM, it was emphasized that the conversation between Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and members of the press constituted the source of the allegations, but this dialogue was deliberately misrepresented.
Request for Help from Google Is Unreal
DMM stated that in addition to the claims that “85 million citizens’ identity information was stolen,” the news that BTK requested help from Google on this issue also did not reflect the truth. The statement emphasized that such misinformation was intended to mislead the public, with the statement that “it is out of the question to request help from Google.”
The statement noted the following: “There is currently no leaked data and there is no question of asking for help from Google. The answer given by Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Uraloğlu to a question on the subject is being taken out of context and served as ‘85 million people’s identity information was stolen’. Upon the findings that address information based on declarations registered in the system was obtained by stealing the passwords of some citizens, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has initiated the necessary legal procedures. Do not believe the baseless claims.”
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