Fake Twitter account for newly appointed minister receives thousands of followers

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Nabi Avcı. AA Photo

A fake account under the name of the newly appointed Education Minister Nabi Avcı received thousands of followers on the microblogging website Twitter despite a “fake” disclaimer in the account’s biography.

The account received hundreds of congratulatory messages and countless mentions since the evening of Jan. 24, when Avcı became the Education Minister during the latest cabinet reshuffle.

The biography of the account clearly states that the “fake account for the fake minister” was neither opened nor started by Avcı himself.

Followers, however, seemed irresponsive to the warning, and showered Avcı with mentions overnight.

A long-expected Cabinet reshuffle took place late Jan. 24 and included four ministries, with the most important change occurring in the Interior Ministry as the much-criticized İdris Naim Şahin left his post to Muammer Güler, a former governor and Mardin deputy of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay was replaced by Ömer Çelik, the head of the AKP’s foreign relations department; Education Minister Ömer Dinçer by Nabi Avcı and Health Minister Recep Akdağ by Edirne Deputy Dr. Mehmet Müezzinoğlu.

The official, verified accounts of the remaining three ministers also saw an increase in followers since the announcement was made.