Mansur Yavaş takes paper cup tender allegations to court

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) Mayor Mansur Yavaş has taken the allegations regarding the paper cup tender, which sparked public debate, to the judiciary. In this process, it was requested that AKP Ankara Deputy Osman Gökçek and AKP Ankara Provincial Chair Hakan Han Özcan provide testimony as witnesses.

The ABB stated that the tender process was conducted transparently and that the allegations do not reflect the truth.

According to the municipality's statement, the tender, which includes the purchase of 427 items, covers many units ranging from cemetery services to public personnel.

The tender was referred to internal audit on March 18, 2025, and passed a preliminary audit by the Court of Accounts; no public loss was detected. The Court of Accounts only identified a one-millimeter difference in the size of the cups, and this was compensated by the relevant company.

The ABB announced that the company providing products within the scope of the tender had worked with the municipality in the past and had received 89 tenders during the previous administration. It was stated that this company has received only 24 tenders during the Mansur Yavaş era.

The claim frequently voiced in public that "the cups were purchased for Karşıyaka Cemetery" was also denied by the municipality.

It was stated that the materials are used by more than 1,200 cemeteries across Ankara, neighborhood headman offices, and municipal units. Furthermore, it was announced that the claim that they were "transported by 25 trucks" is not true, and the actual number was 5 trucks.

The Head of the Department of Cemeteries resigned from his post following these allegations and filed a criminal complaint against those who made allegations against him. The ABB reported that it has submitted all documents and internal audit reports to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and has filed an official criminal complaint.

News Source: 12punto