AKP, MHP vote down proposal for parliamentary inquiry into former Trade Minister Pekcan

Turkey's ruling AKP and MHP have voted down three separate parliamentary motions calling for an investigation into the Trade Ministry's 500,000-lira disinfectant purchase from ousted minister Ruhsar Pekcan's company. In April, Pekcan was sacked from her post after she confirmed that her husband’s company had received a tender to sell disinfectants to the ministry.

Ousted Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan is seen in the inset photo.

Duvar English

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its junior coalition partner Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have voted down parliamentary motions calling for an investigation into the Trade Ministry's procurement of thousands of liters of disinfectants from former Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan's family-run company.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) have each filed a parliamentary motion for the incident to be revealed with all details.

The İYİ (Good) Party has also filed a separate motion demanding that a commission be established for increasing corruption allegations to be investigated.

The authorities have not yet investigated Pekcan for the alleged crime. 

All the three motions were discussed at the parliament's General Assembly, but they were rejected with the votes of AKP and MHP deputies, who hold the parliamentary majority.

In April, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan replaced Pekcan soon after she confirmed that the Trade Ministry bought supplies from her family-owned company. 

In a statement on April 20, Pekcan confirmed the purchases but argued that the tender was allocated according to regulations and her spouse’s company was chosen because it offered the lowest bid.

With no reason officially given for the dismissal, Pekcan was replaced on April 21 by Mehmet Muş in a presidential decree.