Turkey’s deputy PM claims no AKP MPs or ministers used ByLock app
Speaking during a CNN Türk program, Turkey’s Deputy PM Nurettin Canikli gave statements about the ongoing investigations into the alleged group (FETÖ) responsible for the failed coup attempt and the purge the government continues.
Canikli said: “Despite all of our efforts, FETÖ has not been completely wiped out. All of those detected (to be a member) have been dismissed. But the skill of the members (of FETÖ) to conceal themselves is unbelievable. There is nobody among the lawmakers found out to be a ByLock user. There are some among the former ones and the necessary steps are being taken against them.”
The crypto messaging app ByLock is claimed to be the secret communication tool of the members of Fethullah Gülen’s Hizmet movement, with which the ruling party AKP had worked together for decades.
While thousands have been accused of affiliation with FETÖ based on their usage of ByLock, the fact that no AKP MP was revealed as a user. However, several reports indicated that there are indeed AKP members having used the application.
Deeming the usage of the app as an evidence in itself of being the member of the group alleged to be the coup plotters, however, has also been widely criticized.