Spokesperson of Turkish hacker group admits becoming police informant

ISTANBUL

The hacker collective has made a number of attacks against governmental websites in the past, including the finance and interior ministries, as well as the Religious Affairs Directorate.

A spokesperson of the Turkish hacker group RedHack has confessed to taking advantage to his role and to become a police informant in an unprecedented announcement via one of the hacker collective’s Twitter accounts.

“I have done very bad things in my life. I have undertaken the role of a “spokesperson” without any knowledge about hacking and by learning by heart texts that they sent me… But the fact that I was trying to fool people without having knowledge about hacking attracted the police’s interest,” the user of the @RedHackHaber (RedHack Info) account said via Twitter Dec. 29. 

“[Police] have used me. The police whom I worked for harassed and tried to sell me out. I remained silent with the threat of being killed,” he added.

Although not the official account of the leftist hacker group, @RedHackHaber was acknowledged as an account in connection with the anonymous members of the hacker collective. 

The group responded via its official Twitter account that the ties with the anonymous spokesperson in question, who also claims to have appeared on TV – with his face blurred – on behalf of RedHack, were cut. 

“The person who used the account RedHackHaber has entered in wrong calculations and has not abandoned it despite all our efforts. This is why all our contact with that person has been cut and nothing he will say from now on will engage RedHack,” the group said in a Twitter statement Dec. 29.

‘Gülen Movement tried to use me’

The confessor has also accused the movement of the Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, whose followers hold key positions inside the police forces, of trying to use him. 

“The [Gülen] Movement tried to use me inside RedHack, but RedHack found it out. I’m making my apologies as a spokesperson,” he said.

“If RedHack had not acted vigilantly both the [Gülen] Movement and the [ruling Justice and Development Party – AKP] forces would earn huge gains,” he added. 

The spokesperson also explained that being offered a post by another leftist group and attracting women’s attention further lured him into abusing his position.

“It would be known that we have many spokespersons. We will not harbor those who learn by heart what we write and become occupied with women + position + popularity,” the group said, warning about reports that the confessor would give a televised interview. 

“The information that he will give about us that could reveal people can only hurt our struggle. This is our warning to him. Even if he says one word that can put one of our comrades’ life and security at risk, he and those with whom he acts are the sole ones responsible,” the group said. 

Last month, prosecutors had charged a man name Taylan Kulaçoğlu, accusing him of being RedHack’s leader nicknamed “Manyak” (Maniac), despite the group categorically denying that he had any links with them.

On May, Gendarmerie officer Utku Kalı, dubbed the “Turkish Bradley Manning,” was arrested for leaking secret intelligence on the May 11 Reyhanlı bombings to the hacker group.

RedHack has made a number of attacks against governmental websites in the past, including the finance and interior ministries, as well as the Religious Affairs Directorate, in protests against what it described as abuses and injustices.