Orbán cabinet: Fake news on Syrian president’s arrival in Budapest could be coordinated secret services operation
Fake news lacking any factual basis about the ousted Syrian president landing in Budapest resulted in a dangerous situation, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday, adding it was possible that a “coordinated secret services operation” was behind the reports.
What’s behind the fake news about the Syrian president’s arrival in Budapest?
Gergely Gulyás told a regular press briefing that it could not be ruled out that the reports did not just result from human error but a “coordinated secret services operation”.
A national security investigation is under way which is expected to reveal whether those that spread the fake news were also part of the secret services operation or they were “merely useful idiots who could be used by other states for their own purposes,” Gulyás said.
He added that the Hungarian services had to make great efforts as early as on Sunday to refute the fake news.
Gulyás said that as a result of the fake news, employees of the Hungarian foreign representative office and Hungarians living in the country had come under threat, protection had to be provided for the Syrian embassy in Budapest, and an increased risk of terrorist activity had to be calculated with.
Read also: