Turkish Energy Minister Blames U.S. Hackers for Attack on Electrical Grid

We Are Change

(We Are Change) — Intense cyber-attacks originating from within the U.S. and conducted by U.S. hackers contributed to recent power outages in Turkey, according to Turkish energy minister Berat Albayrak.

“In recent days the Energy Ministry underwent a number of powerful cyberattacks that were conducted from the United States,” said Albayrak.

Albayrak also added that in three districts of Istanbul, ministry staff discovered sabotage of underground power lines.

“Yesterday, we faced an intense, US-originated cyber attack. These attacks have been carried out systematically on different parts of the Energy Ministry, but we have repelled them all,” Albayrak said in an interview on Friday.

(Related: No, Russian Hackers Didn’t Break Into The U.S. Electrical Grid)

Since last week, several areas of Turkey have experienced a wave of cyber-attacks. The country has faced rolling power outages following unusually cold weather, which the Turkish energy ministry had initially reported were due to electrical grid damage caused by snow.

“Many infiltration attempts to the systems controlling our transmission and electricity producing lines were determined and prevented. The infiltration attempts are indicators of a major sabotage preparation against Turkey’s national electricity network,” Albayrak said last week.

He also said the attacks started after the failed July 15 coup, which Turkey has blamed on US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, and that the attacks have been increasing since then.

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