The move comes after the telecoms company changed the phone numbers of officials

Jan 16, 2014 13:48 GMT  ·  By

Hackers of the RedHack collective have leaked the phone numbers of over 4,000 people who work for Turkcell, the leading mobile phone operator of Turkey.

Lawmakers in Turkey have recently drafted a bill that allows authorities to block access to certain websites and it will force ISPs to keep detailed records of Internet users’ online activities for one or two years.

As expected, the bill sparked a lot of controversy and hackers of the RedHack group almost immediately stepped into play.

The hacktivists leaked the phone numbers of deputies and ministers just as the bill was being debated in Parliament. They also published the phone number of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son.

Shortly after the information was published, Turkcell changed the phone numbers of impacted officials. In response to Turkcell’s actions, the hacktivists have now leaked the phone numbers of the company’s own employees.

“We are warning these thieves and those GSM operators protecting them: Censorship is a crime against humanity and those who defend this crime are our targets,” the hackers said, cited by Hurriyet Daily News.

“We exonerate those Turkcell workers who are not involved in the incident. Here are the numbers of the 4,164 people who work at the Turkcell call center,” they added.

The supporters of the Internet censorship legislation argue that the bill will line up Turkey with other, more developed countries. However, critics say the law would actually turn Turkey into a country like China, where Internet users have many restrictions.

This latest leak from RedHack comes shortly after the group hacked into the systems of the Ankara transport department. The files found on the organization’s networks allegedly demonstrate the wrongdoings of Melih Gökçek, the capital city’s mayor.