Turkish Foreign Ministry bans use of cell phones at press conferences

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has banned the use of cell phones by the press inside the Foreign Ministry, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

The ban comes as part of security measures in the headquarters to prevent attempts at espionage, after the leak of a top security meeting.

The cell phones of the media members who were to attend the press conference of Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu with his Albanian counterpart Ditmir Bushati were collected on April 18 at the front security desk of the Foreign Ministry building.

The ban to take in cell phones is valid for all guests entering the ministry headquarters, including diplomats, ministry personnel and other Turkish officials.

The move is part of a substantial plan to tighten security inside the ministry in the wake of the illegal recording of a meeting between Turkey’s top security officials, including the foreign minister.

A recording of a high-level security meeting on Syria at the Foreign Ministry was leaked through social media ahead of the March 30 elections.