Turkish intelligence arrests five over software that exposed union members’ personal data
Turkey's intelligence, cybersecurity and gendarmerie forces detained five people from an Ankara software firm after uncovering a tool that could query personal data of non-union members.
In a coordinated raid, the National Intelligence Organization, the Cybersecurity Directorate and the Gendarmerie General Command arrested five individuals connected to Ankara-based Aydo Yazılım, a supplier of digital tools to trade unions. Prosecutors said the company's software featured a hidden query function that allowed operators to pull personal information—including identity and population registration data—by entering Turkish national ID numbers, covering even records of people under 18.
Log files showed the abbreviation “NVİ,” associated with the Directorate General of Population and Citizenship Affairs, but technical analysis indicated the information was not taken directly from government databases. The seized servers also contained broader personal datasets previously leaked online, which could be used to complete new union member profiles. Aydo Yazılım additionally provided consultancy services under the brand “Clock&Wise” to help clients comply with the Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK). Investigators are now determining which unions employed the system, the scope of its use, and the purposes for which the data was processed, with the probe potentially expanding as more evidence is examined.
Why it matters
It reveals how union-related software was used to access private citizen data, raising privacy and security concerns.
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