Police sources of anti-AKP Twitter whistleblower identified: Official

ISTANBUL

Sources for an anti-government social media whistleblower have been revealed in the Istanbul police organization, a Turkish security official told daily Hürriyet on condition of anonymity on Feb. 10.

Fuat Avni, whose real identity remains unknown, has been leaking the details of upcoming police operations since early last year, when the government geared up its fight against its erstwhile ally, the Gülen movement.

Although a series of his accounts have been suspended after requests from the Turkish government and court verdicts, Fuat Avni continues to attract hundreds of thousands of followers under similar Twitter handles, predicting details about the dates, locations and names of people targeted in future police operations.

The Turkish official told Hürriyet that 10 police officials have been accused of supplying Fuat Avni with the leaks. “We have launched an investigation into these policemen,” he added.

In his latest series of tweets on Feb. 9, Fuat Avni targeted National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Chief Hakan Fidan, who resigned on Feb. 6 to run for the parliamentary elections in June. “He resigned to get an even stronger shield of immunity after becoming prime minister,” Avni claimed.

Meanwhile, Fidan left the domestic security meeting at the Prime Ministry in Ankara on 4.30 p.m. Feb. 10, just half an hour before his resignation from the MİT took effect. At 5 p.m., Prime Minister Davutoğlu appointed Fidan’s deputy, İsmail Hakkı Musa, as the new acting head of the MİT.