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| Turkey Expresses Outrage at Reports of Routine Spying by Germany, a NATO Ally | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| BERLIN — After angrily insisting for months that “friends don’t spy,” the German government struggled Monday to respond to news media reports that its intelligence services routinely spy on Turkey, a NATO ally, and inadvertently captured at least one conversation each involving Hillary Rodham Clinton when she was secretary of state and her successor, John Kerry. | BERLIN — After angrily insisting for months that “friends don’t spy,” the German government struggled Monday to respond to news media reports that its intelligence services routinely spy on Turkey, a NATO ally, and inadvertently captured at least one conversation each involving Hillary Rodham Clinton when she was secretary of state and her successor, John Kerry. |
| While officials in Berlin sought to play down the reports, Turkey summoned the German ambassador to demand an immediate investigation. “If there is even a bit of truth in these allegations, this is a grave situation that requires an explanation by Germany,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. | While officials in Berlin sought to play down the reports, Turkey summoned the German ambassador to demand an immediate investigation. “If there is even a bit of truth in these allegations, this is a grave situation that requires an explanation by Germany,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. |
| In a tone of outrage heard repeatedly from politicians in Berlin over the past year when addressing widespread allegations of spying by the United States’ National Security Agency, the Turkish government demanded that German authorities “present an official and satisfactory explanation to the allegations,” adding that “if true, these practices should be terminated at once.” | In a tone of outrage heard repeatedly from politicians in Berlin over the past year when addressing widespread allegations of spying by the United States’ National Security Agency, the Turkish government demanded that German authorities “present an official and satisfactory explanation to the allegations,” adding that “if true, these practices should be terminated at once.” |
| Turkey remains on a list of countries targeted by Germany’s foreign intelligence service that was drawn up in 2009 and remains relevant today, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported on Monday, attributing the information to documents leaked to the Central Intelligence Agency. The magazine also reported that the German foreign intelligence service, known by its initials, BND, had captured individual conversations of Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Kerry while they were in the Middle East. | Turkey remains on a list of countries targeted by Germany’s foreign intelligence service that was drawn up in 2009 and remains relevant today, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported on Monday, attributing the information to documents leaked to the Central Intelligence Agency. The magazine also reported that the German foreign intelligence service, known by its initials, BND, had captured individual conversations of Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Kerry while they were in the Middle East. |
| Mr. Kerry’s conversation was overheard last year during negotiations with the Israelis and Palestinians, Der Spiegel reported. German intelligence officials also listened in on a phone call in 2012 between Mrs. Clinton and Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general, who was returning from Syria and was informing her on his talks there in his role as special envoy. | Mr. Kerry’s conversation was overheard last year during negotiations with the Israelis and Palestinians, Der Spiegel reported. German intelligence officials also listened in on a phone call in 2012 between Mrs. Clinton and Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general, who was returning from Syria and was informing her on his talks there in his role as special envoy. |
| There was no immediate comment from the administration in Washington on the allegations, although the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported Friday that Mr. Kerry had brought them to the attention of his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Mr. Steinmeier’s spokesman, Martin Schäfer, refused Monday to comment on the report. | There was no immediate comment from the administration in Washington on the allegations, although the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported Friday that Mr. Kerry had brought them to the attention of his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Mr. Steinmeier’s spokesman, Martin Schäfer, refused Monday to comment on the report. |
| Christiane Wirtz, a spokeswoman for Chancellor Angela Merkel, refused to confirm the spying reports, citing German protocol under which espionage is exclusively handled by a parliamentary committee that oversees the country’s intelligence services. Asked whether Berlin considered Turkey a friendly nation that would exempt it from being the target of spying, Ms. Wirtz responded that “Germany cooperates closely with Turkey in many different areas.” | Christiane Wirtz, a spokeswoman for Chancellor Angela Merkel, refused to confirm the spying reports, citing German protocol under which espionage is exclusively handled by a parliamentary committee that oversees the country’s intelligence services. Asked whether Berlin considered Turkey a friendly nation that would exempt it from being the target of spying, Ms. Wirtz responded that “Germany cooperates closely with Turkey in many different areas.” |
| In October, amid widespread German outrage over allegations that the N.S.A. had been listening in on Ms. Merkel’s cellphone, a spokesman for the chancellor insisted that “between close friends and partners, which the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America have been for decades, there should be no such surveillance of the communications of a head of government.” | In October, amid widespread German outrage over allegations that the N.S.A. had been listening in on Ms. Merkel’s cellphone, a spokesman for the chancellor insisted that “between close friends and partners, which the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America have been for decades, there should be no such surveillance of the communications of a head of government.” |
| Asked on Monday how reported spying on a NATO partner like Turkey fit in with her firm statements against American snooping on Germany, Ms. Merkel suggested there was a clear difference. | |
| Her statement last fall came “in a recognizable context,” she said at a news conference on a visit to the Latvian capital, Riga. That was an apparent allusion to the fact that the United States had specifically snooped on her cellphone. | Her statement last fall came “in a recognizable context,” she said at a news conference on a visit to the Latvian capital, Riga. That was an apparent allusion to the fact that the United States had specifically snooped on her cellphone. |
| She noted further that the United States and Germany continue to have different views on the demands of security versus privacy. | She noted further that the United States and Germany continue to have different views on the demands of security versus privacy. |
| Ms. Merkel declined to be drawn out on whether German intelligence had spied on Turkey, noting only that the work of the secret services is confidential, with details relayed to the parliamentary oversight commission only as the government deems fit. Members of that commission are sworn to confidentiality. | Ms. Merkel declined to be drawn out on whether German intelligence had spied on Turkey, noting only that the work of the secret services is confidential, with details relayed to the parliamentary oversight commission only as the government deems fit. Members of that commission are sworn to confidentiality. |
| Berlin demanded in July that the C.I.A.’s station chief leave the country, following revelations the United States had recruited a mole who delivered 218 pages of confidential information gathered by the BND. That move represented a culmination of frustration over the American intelligence officials’ failure to release information that the Germans maintain they were promised after the initial revelations about Ms. Merkel’s cellphone. | Berlin demanded in July that the C.I.A.’s station chief leave the country, following revelations the United States had recruited a mole who delivered 218 pages of confidential information gathered by the BND. That move represented a culmination of frustration over the American intelligence officials’ failure to release information that the Germans maintain they were promised after the initial revelations about Ms. Merkel’s cellphone. |
| The spying allegations could further complicate Berlin’s ties to Ankara at a time when Berlin and its NATO allies are seeking to support Kurdish separatists in Iraq, without upsetting Turkey, which has long opposed nationalist demands of the Kurds on its own territory. | The spying allegations could further complicate Berlin’s ties to Ankara at a time when Berlin and its NATO allies are seeking to support Kurdish separatists in Iraq, without upsetting Turkey, which has long opposed nationalist demands of the Kurds on its own territory. |