back to article Turkey cites crypto software find in terror charges against TV crew

Possession of an encryption program used by jihadists is being cited of evidence against two Vice News journalists and a local fixer / translator arrested in Turkey, who now face terror-related charges. British journalist Jake Hanrahan, cameraman Philip Pendlebury and their local assistant were picked up last week in …

  1. Your alien overlord - fear me

    That 'Android toy My First Crypto Chat' is quite profitable, pushing adverts, like Ukrainian housewives for sale to those ISIS twonks using it. It also cc's the message in plain text to the NSA. So less negative vibes dude.

    1. g e

      Crypto software.

      Pah. It's probably pkzip.

  2. GrumpenKraut
    Trollface

    Turkey nowadays

    a bit like Russia, though with a very small dick.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Turkey nowadays

      And yet the Euros were going to make them a member. Nowadays Turkey probably wouldn't want to help bail out their best buddies Greece anyway.

      1. Mark 65

        Re: Turkey nowadays

        And yet the Euros were going to make them a member.

        Dude, they were never going to make them a member. They always just stated it was under consideration and added caveats to shut them up. Wasn't ever going to occur though, they just don't "fit" with the rest of the club membership.

        1. Wzrd1 Silver badge

          Re: Turkey nowadays

          Although, the arresting and charging officers will now be arrested at the end of this debacle.

          After all, their idiotic actions have insulted Turkishness, which is a crime in Turkey.

        2. Mark 65

          Re: Turkey nowadays

          I take it the down vote was from a Mr Erdogan. Sorry Erders old boy but they were never going to let you in, that's an open secret.

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Turkey nowadays

          >they just don't "fit" with the rest of the club membership.

          Isn't that the same language used at the country club why they keep the darkies out? You could say it better by pointing out no way with their human rights record are they ever going to join which one would hope would be the real reason.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Turkey nowadays

      a bit like Russia, though with a very small dick.

      Curious that the tosser Cameron still wants to help them join the EU, on account of their democratic credentials.

      1. Sven Coenye

        Re: Turkey nowadays

        Because that is a US project, not a Euro one.

      2. fajensen

        Re: Turkey nowadays

        Brits and Yanks always, always, wanted to sabotage the EU project. Turkey inside of Schengen would achieve this nicely.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Turkey nowadays

          >Brits and Yanks always, always, wanted to sabotage the EU project.

          These days we hardly have to sabotage it. Its falling flat on its face itself (funny how political unions that don't truly share the same culture (including often language) and interests usually fall apart without the threat of force). Remember that talk how the Euro was going to replace the dollar? Haven't heard much of that lately.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Turkey nowadays

      >Because that is a US project, not a Euro one.

      Talking about NATO? That is probably a valid point considering if the US isn't interested Europe on its own seems incapable of even standing up to a belligerent Russia on its door step in any real meaningful way (and what little was done took a lot of arm twisting). Though kudos to France for taking the initiative in Africa.

      1. Sven Coenye

        Re: Turkey nowadays

        No, plain political. Most likely explanation, to me, is that Bush II was using the issue to paper over cracks in US-Turkey relations at the time.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Turkey nowadays

          Guess perhaps someone should have showed some backbone in Europe and called him out huh? Its ok Turkey gave the finger to Bush when they refused his bribe to use their country as a launching pad into Iraq. Good thing Kuwait was less democratic I guess (or not).

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Turkey should call them illegal migrants, throw them in the sea, let them drown, and many in the west will cheer rather than criticise.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      But the EU is all about human rights remember?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      and many in the west will cheer rather than criticise.

      Shall we try a completely open borders policy then?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        > Shall we try a completely open borders policy then?

        You *could* argue that the problems that we're facing now are ultimately because we have borders.

        1. Mark 65

          You *could* argue that the problems that we're facing now are ultimately because we have borders.

          You *could* also argue that the mere hint of a suggestion that they could get in also causes the problem. If I think I may get into some relative utopia compared to the shithole from whence I came then I'm likely to give it a shot.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        >Shall we try a completely open borders policy then?

        The key to doing so is like at least half of the countries in the world make your country so broken and shitty nobody wants to go there (or even live there) and if anyone says anything about it scream bloody murder about your sovereignty and the world's police man. Oh wait those are the countries causing the problem my mistake.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          FAIL

          You could argue that if the west didn't go round blowing up places for oil, leaving a complete power vacuum, then they would have to leave their own countries in the first place.

          1. asdf

            >west didn't go round blowing up places for oil,

            Get with the 21st century and our slow move away from fossil fuels and soon to be big move into the more valuable fresh water.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    And so it begins.

    If you use encryption, you must be a terrorist.

    It's not as though this wasn't predicted.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      >And so it begins

      Don't get me wrong I don't like how things are moving but this hardly some first world country (though lol their median income is almost as much as Russia's). They are like a retarded step child pseudo democracy the west pats on the head for being a little better than the other muslim countries.

  5. Pen-y-gors

    EU membership? In their dreams!

    Time to stop faffing around. Tell the Turkish government that if they are serious about joining the EU they can re-apply in 30 years time. Until then, forget it.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: EU membership? In their dreams!

      If you did a blind test simply looking at economy you sure would let Turkey in before Greece though lol.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: EU membership? In their dreams!

        If you did a blind test simply looking at economy you sure would let Turkey in before Greece

        That would depend on whether you let the crooks of Goldman Sachs make up the numbers, wouldn't it?

        1. asdf

          Re: EU membership? In their dreams!

          At this point not even Goldman could keep a straight face telling you the Greek government is better off economically in the near future than Turkey.

  6. Pen-y-gors

    Windows?

    And the Turkish president is using the exact same software on his computer as almost all the ISIL nutters - Windows! String him up!

  7. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Thumb Down

    PKK are not "Jihadists" and why is there an image of the local ISIS dance club?

    Seriously, El Reg. Refrain from sucking Erdogan's dick like that. It is very apparent that Turkey currently supports/looks-the-other-way irt ISIS while bombing Kurds and PKK positions for purely internal political reasons. Erdogan is playing the Great Game, which will sooner or later backfire and result in anal blasts of a magnitude never seen in the Bosphorus so far.

    What next? Whistleblowers are "terrorists"?

    1. asdf

      Re: PKK are not "Jihadists" and why is there an image of the local ISIS dance club?

      Erdogan can't form a government to give him absolute power though if the Kurds keep getting more than %10 of the vote which it looks like his latest ass hat tactics have only reinforced. He may end up just having basically a coup and getting rid of any pretense of democracy to get what he wants.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: PKK are not "Jihadists" and why is there an image of the local ISIS dance club?

      It is very apparent that Turkey currently supports/looks-the-other-way irt ISIS while bombing Kurds and PKK

      "It is very apparent that Obama currently supports/looks-the-other-way irt Turkey bombing Kurds and PKK"

      FTFY. Very, very sad that the Yanks have made so much of the Peshmurga, but then totally abandon them in return for temporary access to a few Turkish air bases. The approved US establishment message to possible allies is apparently "Never, ever trust us, we're C*NTS".

      Out of curiosity, given the deep wisdom of the commentariat, are there any parallels in history of a non-involved nation getting so deeply involved on all sides of three/four-or-more way civil wars, and systematically fucking their prospects with all sides?

      1. asdf

        Re: PKK are not "Jihadists" and why is there an image of the local ISIS dance club?

        Not sure but if there is it probably involves the CIA in Latin America.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: PKK are not "Jihadists" and why is there an image of the local ISIS dance club?

        "Out of curiosity, given the deep wisdom of the commentariat, are there any parallels in history of a non-involved nation getting so deeply involved on all sides of three/four-or-more way civil wars, and systematically fucking their prospects with all sides?"

        Yep, the United States of America.

        I'll not say more, I'm literally a few kilometers from no such agency.

    3. John Tserkezis

      Re: PKK are not "Jihadists" and why is there an image of the local ISIS dance club?

      "What next? Whistleblowers are "terrorists"?"

      They've been considered that in Australia for a long time now. But as long as you can keep your head low and just shut the hell up about it afterwards - you'll do allright.

      Unless you're making fun of politicians, because that's our national sport. Then it's Ok.

    4. Old Handle
      Joke

      Re: PKK are not "Jihadists" and why is there an image of the local ISIS dance club?

      I think that's called irony. See, a reasonable person would understand that it's ridiculous to label Vice News reporters as terrorists, and readers of this site in particular would be expected to agree that labeling anyone a terrorist for for using encryption is especially laughable. So so posting a picture of actual terrorists (or a wannabe terrorist dance troop) should be taken as poking fun at anyone who confuses journalists with people like those in the picture.

  8. Sgt_Oddball
    FAIL

    In other news...

    100% of terrorists, serial killers and pedophiles admit to drinking water.

    I do wonder who they ask for advice on how to run investigations on these things and how guilty by association usually makes those accusing look like 5 year olds pointing fingers.

  9. phil dude
    WTF?

    ban mathematics...

    Oh wait, they already are.

    Just teach children the contents of some religious text exclusively and that way there will be no problems with the discovery of new technology the promotes human health and welfare.

    Anyway who needs maths? It's not like it is any good for anything. I mean there is always the lottery to help us understand random numbers.

    </sarcasm>

    P.

    1. asdf

      Re: ban mathematics...

      Not to defend Turkey but they are far better in this regard than most other Muslim countries like Pakistan who in many parts have pretty much completely given up on public education and let the islamists run the schools. As far as banning the lottery wasn't the Catholic church against gambling for the longest time because it showed the concept of randomness to the laypeople? Europe was pretty backwards due to religion for the longest time as well. Eventually the Muslims will learn about the Renaissance.

      1. Jan 0 Silver badge
        Headmaster

        Re: ban mathematics...

        > Eventually the Muslims will learn about the Renaissance.

        Maybe, but I'd much rather that they and a big chunk of the rest of us caught on to the Enlightenment.

        1. Wzrd1 Silver badge

          Re: ban mathematics...

          "Maybe, but I'd much rather that they and a big chunk of the rest of us caught on to the Enlightenment."

          Well, during the dark ages, they did have enlightenment, then they tried to emulate Europe and look at the mess we have today, Islam's dark ages.

          Worse, we fed this monster and now the monster is looking for its creator.

      2. Roj Blake Silver badge

        Re: ban mathematics...

        "As far as banning the lottery wasn't the Catholic church against gambling for the longest time because it showed the concept of randomness to the laypeople?"

        In my experience people who gamble have the worst grasp of what randomness is.

    2. phil dude
      Boffin

      Re: ban mathematics...

      The "</sarcasm>" tag is needed, because not everyone agrees with the statement:

      "We are to admit no more causes of natural things than such as are both true and sufficient to explain their appearances.". Isaac Newton

      In a society that is awash in media, those who control the tides, control the boat...

      P.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's not just Turkey

    Meanwhile, in the UK, if you have an encrypted laptop, if you don't give them the password, then you are stuffed into jail. Remember all the talk about encryption from Cameron. Turkey are just following the way of the "Western" governments.

    1. Teiwaz
      Coat

      Re: It's not just Turkey (or ham)

      "the way of the "Western" governments"

      Is it just me, or does it remind one of all those old 8-bit martial arts games (like 'the way of the tiger' or the 'the way of the exploding fist').

      Sounds far to noble, not a 'a way', not even 'a side-street' or 'a cul-de-sac', maybe a dark back-alley, full of shifty deals and backstabbing...

      Now I've depressed myself...

      1. asdf

        Re: It's not just Turkey (or ham)

        >maybe a dark back-alley, full of shifty deals and backstabbing...

        >Now I've depressed myself...

        Do what I do and remind yourself no matter how fscked up things look at least I did not have to stand in a bread line today to eat. That tends to put things especially 1st world problems in perspective.

        1. Wzrd1 Silver badge

          Re: It's not just Turkey (or ham)

          "That tends to put things especially 1st world problems in perspective."

          Neither do I, in the New World. That is good, as budget cuts eliminated the bread line.

          The good thing about information security is, if you can't provide the solution due to top office negating the notion, there is good money to be made in prolonging the agony.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Clueless"

    Oh, I would think they know exactly what they are doing. The reason they give, need not be the real one. But it's an attempt to get an effect they want. It just may not work out how they wish, or it may succeed.

  12. Youngone Silver badge
    FAIL

    Proof

    This is proof that the Kurds should have been given a homeland when France and Britain carved the Middle East up after WWI.

    I'm not sure why it didn't happen, after all they took most of the Ottoman Empire from the Turks, a bit more wouldn't have mattered.

    1. Wzrd1 Silver badge

      Re: Proof

      Perhaps it is because the Kaiser was better at divvying up up other people's lands in the 1850's than England has throughout its history.

      India-Pakistan-etc is a UK blunder as well. Originally all over bloody tea.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Proof

        India-Pakistan-etc is a UK blunder as well.

        Nope. Deliberate. The Brits thought, not wholly unreasonably, that a couple of former provinces full of restive muslims would be a nice expression of their everlasting gratitude towards Ghandi for kicking them out.

        When that didn't work as planned, they probably backed Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq all the way, after all, there has never been a Sunni Zealot that "the West" didn't like!

  13. BoldMan

    > India-Pakistan-etc is a UK blunder as well. Originally all over bloody tea.

    Excuse me? How do you come to that conclusion? The partition happened AFTER the Brits left...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      >The partition happened AFTER the Brits left...

      Funny I thought it was the UK that passed this law. Whitewash that blood.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Independence_Act_1947

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