Former head of Turkey's top science body detained

The former head of Turkey?s top science body and two of its employees were detained on April 14 for hiring an employee with a fake diploma, amid allegations of illegal wire-tapping targeting senior government officials.

Anti-terror police officers detained Prof. Dr. Yücel Altunba?ak in Ankara, four days after he resigned from the top post at the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜB?TAK). 

Altunba?ak?s former chief of staff, identified as Osman K., and a manager of a TÜB?TAK institute, identified as Eren Y., were also detained April 14. Another suspect that the police sought to detain fled the country, daily Hürriyet reported.

Science, Industry and Technology Minister Fikri I??k announced during an April 10 television interview that Altunba?ak had resigned from his post with ?mutual agreement.?

Before his starting term at TÜB?TAK in 2011, Altunba?ak was a prominent name internationally in the academy and the industry. He has worked in Silicon Valley and lectured at institutions such as Stanford, the Georgia Institute of Technology and San Jose State University.

Hasan Palaz, Altunba?ak?s deputy at TÜB?TAK, was arrested in Ankara last week for hiring an employee who presented a fake diploma.

In January, 28 employees of TÜB?TAK and Turkey?s Telecommunications Directorate (T?B) were detained for wiretapping the encrypted phones of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu, Constitutional Court President Ha?im K?l?ç and Chief of General Staff Necdet Özel.

In recent years, TÜB?TAK had also been criticized for its reports on controversial legal cases.

Investigations targeting TÜB?TAK came soon after the government and its erstwhile ally, U.S.-based...