[There was a video here]

Recently, a reporter for a Turkish news station was supposedly rummaging around in the garbage when she found what appeared to be secret codes used during the country’s recent coup attempt. Which would have been fascinating if they weren’t actually just cheats to Grand Theft Auto IV.

Pro-gov't journo finds notebook w/GTA IV cheats in garbage and claims it's a secret code used during coup attempt https://t.co/E09ieYhq4O — Şafak Baş شفق (@TurkishIranian) August 2, 2016

According to one online forum, the paper reads:



GTA IV Cheats I/ Health and Gun II/Health and Armor

While the reporter herself is saying something along the lines of:

This is how they communicate in secrets. Even though it says “cheats,” health and gun, health and armor, weather, this were the things they used in the coup.

Of course, there’s always the chance this whole thing is a hoax. But if not—then it turns out it really was about ethics in games journalism all along.