Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), have rejected a parliamentary motion to investigate allegations of corruption on the part of former trade minister Ruhsar Pekcan, who was removed in a cabinet reshuffle last month.
The motion was submitted to parliament by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy group chairmen Engin Altay, Özgür Özel and Engin Özkoç.
Pekcan was fired after the release of a report by the Oda TV news website saying that Nanoksia Biotechnology – co-owned by Pekcan and her husband – was chosen for the supply of thousands of liters of disinfectant, allegedly worth TL 9 million ($1.1 million), to the Trade Ministry..
Pekcan later released a written statement on the ministry website confirming that the ministry procured disinfectant worth TL 580,000 ($71,243) without holding a tender, insisting that the amount was “far lower than the average market price” for disinfectant.
However, it later turned out that Pekcan sold the disinfectant to the ministry 75 percent above market price.
The ministry paid 175 Turkish lira for five liters of the disinfectant, which the company usually sells to vendors for 100 lira per five liters.