Twenty-one suspects, including six active-duty soldiers, have been detained on allegations of irregularities in transport tenders under Turkey’s Land Forces Command, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
The investigation, overseen by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, found that personnel working at the Transportation Management branch of the Land Forces Logistics Command worked with private contractors to secure illegal benefits, according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office on Monday.
Prosecutors said that in 18 tenders conducted between 2019 and 2024, vehicle numbers and mileage figures were deliberately inflated in payment documents, causing unjustified payments to contractors and financial losses to the state.
An inspection by the Defense Ministry’s audit board determined that the alleged public loss amounted to 23.6 million Turkish lira ($547,000).
The suspects were detained on allegations of bid rigging and bribery. The investigation is ongoing, the statement said.