In response to recent deadly explosions targeting Hezbollah communication devices in Lebanon, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry has announced a comprehensive review of its own military communication systems.
The explosions of thousands of pagers and walkie talkies used by Hezbollah members on Sep 18 and 19 have heightened concerns about communication security in the region.
Ministry officials addressed the issue during a weekly briefing to journalists on Sep 19, according to reports in the Turkish media.
While the Turkish military exclusively employs domestically-produced communication equipment and software, it has implemented additional security protocols when third-party suppliers are involved in the production or procurement processes, according to the officials.
"In the context of this incident, we as the National Defense Ministry are carrying out the necessary examinations,” an official was quoted as saying by TRT World, the state media. “The Turkish Armed Forces have become much stronger in recent years in the fields of communication, information systems, electronic warfare, and cyber with the support of Turkish engineers."
Fidan: Iran has no choice but to respond
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also weighed in on the issue, saying that Israel is shifting its focus to Hezbollah “after settling its account with Gaza.”
“The explosions over the past two days are linked to electronic devices. In intelligence terminology, these are referred to as ‘opportunity operations’,” he said during a video interview with the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA).
Fidan explained that Israel had prior knowledge of Hezbollah’s planned purchases through technical and human intelligence sources. He noted that the situation in Lebanon came to light after Israel infiltrated certain companies.
Commenting on the attacks, Fidan said this method is not a new concept and is frequently employed by intelligence agencies. “There is, however, a key difference with the attacks in Lebanon. This is on a much larger scale. When operations of this magnitude occur, they affect thousands of people.”
In the face of Israel’s “provocative” attacks, Iran and its proxies have come to a point where they have no choice but to retaliate, the minister asserted.
Cybersecurity
Fidan further highlighted that there is a significant level of awareness regarding cybersecurity within institutions in Turkey, mentioning that the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry has established a dedicated directorate for this purpose.
He also emphasized the effectiveness of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and the police force in this area, saying, “The establishment of an independent cybersecurity agency has been brought to the government's agenda.”
The minister further noted that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has shown strong support for this initiative, indicating that it will be implemented in the near future. (VK)