Turkey announces new acting national intelligence chief

Former MIT deputy secretary İsmail Hakkı Musa has become the new acting head of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT), the prime minister's office announced.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu met Tuesday with ex-chief Hakan Fidan to discuss the ongoing Kurdish "solution process." The meeting was also attended by Deputy PMs Yalçın Akdoğan, Bülent Arınç and Numan Kurtulmuş and the defense, justice and interior ministers.

Davutoğlu and other officials thanked Fidan for his "outstanding efforts." Fidan, who has been running Turkey's intelligence agency since May 2010, is an influential figure who has made headlines in regards to Turkey's Middle East policy.

He has also been a key figure in the "solution process", an initiative launched by the Turkish government to end the decades-old conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives.

Last week, Fidan resigned from his post, effective Tuesday, in order to run in the June 7 general elections, the prime minister's office said.