Home > Current Affairs News > Corruption at Yunus Emre Foundation reaches back to AKP era of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality: 44 million TL in public loss!

Corruption at Yunus Emre Foundation reaches back to AKP era of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality: 44 million TL in public loss!

The Yunus Emre Foundation's 919,000 Euro rent debt was paid by Kültür A.Ş., a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB). According to journalist Bora Erdin, this irregularity, which was left unaddressed while the İBB was under AKP administration, resulted in a public loss of 44 million Turkish Liras.

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The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has completed the indictment in the wide-ranging corruption investigation concerning the Yunus Emre Foundation. The corruption network has revealed not only internal irregularities within the foundation but also a public loss extending to Kültür A.Ş., a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB).

44 MILLION TL IN PUBLIC LOSS!

According to journalist Bora Erdin, one of the most striking points in the indictment involves irregularities regarding a Brussels-based lease. In 2010, a building rented in Brussels by Kültür A.Ş., an İBB subsidiary, as part of the European Capital of Culture projects, was subsequently transferred to the Yunus Emre Foundation as a sub-tenant. However, according to Court of Accounts reports, the foundation never paid the rent for this building. As a result of this unauthorized use, which lasted for seven years, it was determined that the total rent paid from the public treasury reached 919,200 Euros, which is approximately 44 million 112 thousand TL at today's exchange rate.

The Court of Accounts revealed this public loss in detail in a report published in 2014 and warned the relevant institutions. However, because the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality was under AKP administration at that time, no action was taken.

EVENTS REMAINED ON PAPER, INVOICES WERE ISSUED

The indictment includes information that many events shown as having taken place in Brussels never actually occurred. It was documented that invoices for these events were issued, but the activities in question were never carried out. Similarly, it was determined that some organizations claimed to have been held in Syria were also not actually conducted.

Bora Erdin's post on his X account is as follows:

"The Yunus Emre Foundation corruption reaches the İBB.

The foundation had its 919,000 Euro (44,112,000 TL) rent paid by Kültür A.Ş., which is affiliated with the İBB.

However, because the İBB was managed by the AKP during those years, no action was taken.

If the corruption warning had been heeded 11 years ago, the massive public loss that has emerged today might never have occurred.

We, the ordinary citizens, are paying the price for prioritizing parties even in corruption."