Three inspectors swoop on AKP Fatih Municipality

Aykut Küçükkaya
 
Three inspectors have started a surprise audit at the AKP Fatih Municipality, which was mentioned in the 17-25 December investigation files. Two Court of Accounts inspectors are making an audit at the municipality, at which there has been no Court of Accounts inspection since 2013. Immediately following the Court of Accounts, an Interior Ministry Chief Civil Service Inspector has been appointed and has commenced an inspection.
 
From Erdoğan’s close circle
 
AKP Fatih Mayor Mustafa Demir was one of the figures who was arrested and then released following the 17-25 December investigation. The name of Demir, known for his closeness to President Tayyip Erdoğan, was mentioned in conjunction with the Istanbul Metropolitan Mayorship following Kadir Topbaş’s resignation. Demir also numbers along with President Erdoğan’s son Bilal Erdoğan and daughter Esra Albayrak among those to have been in the administration of the Turkish Youth and Education Service Foundation. One of the first student hostels that the Turkish Youth and Education Service Foundation opened was assigned free of charge to Fatih Municipality.
 
The appointment at this particular time of three inspectors into the activities of the municipality of Mustafa Demir, known for his closeness to both Tayyip Erdoğan and Bilal Erdoğan, is making waves. The appointing of a chief civil service inspector by the Interior Ministry headed by Süleyman Soylu, who has said, especially in recent times, that he has a problem with certain ministers in the government has also put a different complexion on the matter. The comments doing the rounds in the lobbies is that the appointing of the three inspectors is connected with the ongoing internal dispute within the AKP and among ministers.
 
What does the CHP say?
 
Fatih Municipality’s CHP Assembly Member Fazıl Uğur Soylu has recently brought a number of files alleging corruption to public attention. Soylu, saying he had made applications to the Interior Ministry and Court of Accounts Presiding Judgeship, commented, “My incriminating reports into Fatih Mayoralty, which, since 2013, has been subjected to absolutely no public scrutiny and to which no civil service - Court of Accounts inspectors have been assigned, have made it as far as the Council of State. A civil service inspector has been appointed by the Interior Ministry and Court of Accounts inspectors by the Court of Accounts Presiding Judgeship. From what we have gleaned, the Court of Accounts inspectors started their audit in December 2017, and the ministry chief inspector started an inspection in January 2018. We, as the opposition, await the inspectors’ findings and reports.”