Council of State overturns 'rental' corruption in TurkStat tender: AKP-linked company had won

The 170 million TL vehicle rental tender organized by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) has confirmed allegations of corruption and irregularity following a Council of State ruling. The tender was held on December 24, 2023, for the purpose of leasing "2021 model minibuses with drivers and passenger vehicles." While 19 companies submitted bids for the tender, only two were accepted as valid.

Kayatur Filo Kiralama Anonim Şirketi, owned by Mehmet Kaya—who was an AKP parliamentary candidate nominee for Ankara in the 2018 general elections—won the tender on January 12. It had been alleged that the tender prevented the participation of other firms due to technical specifications that specifically pointed to certain makes and models of vehicles.

According to a report by İsmail Arı from BirGün, complaints filed regarding these allegations were evaluated by the Public Procurement Authority but were rejected. Subsequently, the matter was taken to the 11th Administrative Court, which also dismissed the case and upheld the decision of the Public Procurement Authority.

However, the 13th Chamber of the Council of State evaluated the situation from a different perspective on May 8, 2024, and overturned the Administrative Court's decision. The Council of State's ruling emphasized that laws and fair competition conditions must be adhered to in public procurement processes. Furthermore, it was stated that judicial decisions must be implemented without question by legislative and executive bodies. The Council of State called on the Public Procurement Authority to make the necessary arrangements in line with the decision taken.

News Source: 12punto