TODAYSZAMAN European Commission has launched a probe into claims of tender rigging and illegal recruitment that allegedly took place in an agency linked to Turkey’s EU Affairs Ministry while former EU Affairs Minister Egemen Bağış –who was implicated in the corruption scandal that became public on Dec. 17– was on duty.Bağış who was also involved in the corruption scandal that has shaken the country since Dec. 17 last year resigned and replaced with Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in a major cabinet reshuffle. The reshuffle took place roughly a week after the corruption investigation became public.
The corruption scandal in the EU’s Ministry’s National Agency became public when an e-mail sent by Musa Ceylan, the president of the agency at the time, dated March 9, 2013, allegedly including statements indicating the presence of illegal orders given by Bağış became public. In response to Bağış’s orders, Ceylan wrote that as the president of the agency, he wants to openly repeat that the agency cannot comply with the minister’s orders on grounds that they are against regulations of the body.
The e-mail which became public not long ago reportedly prompted the commission to open an investigation into the allegations.
Jan Truszczyński , general director of The Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC)– the executive branch of the European Union responsible for policy on education, culture, youth, languages, and sport—wrote a letter within this scope sent to Çavuşoğlu and the president of national agency, Bülent Özcan, on Jan. 20, 2014, claiming that there has been an investigation launched into claims regarding the agency, the daily reported.
The European Commission, according to the 27th article of the agreement between EU and Turkey, has an authority to launch a probe into any kind of illegal use of the granted funds.