AN MD88 FLC LEAVES THEIR ASSIGNED ALT OF FL350 FOR A TCASII RA ON SAME ALT; OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC. THE FLT HAD JUST BEEN ASSIGNED A NEW; MORE WESTERLY HDG FROM THE PREVIOUS HDG ASSIGNED; THAT ONE BEING FOR TFC SEPARATION.

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I WAS CAPT ON THIS FLT; WITH THE FO FLYING THE ACFT. WE WERE AT FL350 PROCEEDING DIRECT TO ODF AND TALKING TO ZID. WE WERE TOLD BY ZID TO TURN L 10 DEGS FOR TFC. WE RESPONDED AND FLEW THE NEW HDG OF 195 DEGS. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO ZTL 126.77. I CHKED IN AT FL350 ON A 195 DEG HDG. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED. THE CTLR THEN GAVE US A R TURN TO 250 DEGS; WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED; AND THE FO MADE THE TURN. AFTER WE ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN THE CTLR ASKED WHAT HDG WE WERE ON; AND I RESPONDED 250 DEGS ASSIGNED. HE SAID HE DID NOT GIVE US THAT HDG AND THEN TOLD US TO TURN TO 300 DEGS. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND WHILE IN THE TURN WE GOT A TCASII TA. THE CTLR THEN TOLD US TO EXPEDITE OUR TURN TO 360 DEGS. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND THEN WE GOT A TCASII RA TO DSND. THE FO DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND DSNDED PER THE RA WHILE STILL IN THE TURN. I TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE DSNDING PER THE RA. WE GOT THE TCASII 'CLR OF CONFLICT' ADVISORY AT FL338. I TOLD THE FO TO START CLBING BACK TO FL350 AND ANNOUNCED THE SAME TO CTR. THE CTLR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN FL330; WHICH WE DID. HE ALSO TOLD US TO CONTINUE THE R TURN AND PROCEED DIRECT TO ODF; WHICH WE DID. ON THE NEXT ATLANTA FREQ; WE WERE NOTIFIED BY THE CTLR THAT THERE WAS AN ALTDEV AT XA22Z NE OF KNOXVILLE AND GAVE US PHONE NUMBERS AT THE CTR TO CALL IF WE HAD QUESTIONS. AFTER LNDG; I NOTIFIED MY COMPANY OF THE EVENT. MY COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE CONTACTED THE CTR AND WAS TOLD THAT; UPON REVIEW OF THE TAPES; THE CTLR DID GIVE US THE 250 DEG TURN. IT WAS SPECULATED THAT THE CTLR WAS CONFUSED AS HE WAS TRYING TO CONTACT ANOTHER ACR FLC IN THE AREA; AND GAVE US THE TURN BY MISTAKE.