Why isn't the RTÜK side of the scandal being investigated?

The Yunus Emre Foundation scandal, uncovered by BirGün, also extends to the Radio and Television Supreme Council ( RTÜK ), which is run by Ebubekir Şahin , whom the opposition describes as "the government's commissioner." RTÜK paid millions of lira to companies that embezzled the Yunus Emre Foundation with fake invoices.

In the indictment of the Yunus Emre Foundation scandal, in which 23 people are being tried for “breach of trust due to service” and “laundering assets derived from crime,” the connections between companies named Han Cultural Education Consultancy and Anka Congress Tourism are noteworthy.

COMPANY ENES ATEŞ KURUDU

According to the indictment, Anka Congress Tourism Company was founded on January 4, 2019, by Enes Ateş, son of Şeref Ateş, President of the Yunus Emre Institute, which is affiliated with the foundation. Approximately eight months later, Enes Ateş transferred the company to Selçuk Kaymakoğlu. The company was then transferred to Soner Sezgin. The indictment determined that the individuals who took over the company were linked to Enes Ateş and that approximately 60 million Turkish Lira was illegally transferred from the Yunus Emre Foundation to the company. The indictment noted that "the contents of the invoices and offers issued to the foundation did not match the services provided, and the procurement files were completely fabricated," and that the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) paid millions of lira to the company.

RTÜK awarded 4.663 million Turkish Lira to Anka Congress Tourism Company for six separate contracts: procurement of services for workshops, production of documentaries, and organization. According to data in the Public Procurement Bulletin, only the companies awarded tenders by RTÜK, other than the Yunus Emre Foundation, used the bargaining method in their tenders. The bargaining method is also interpreted as a method of awarding a contract to whomever one chooses.

NINE SEPARATE PAYMENT RECORDS

Han Cultural Education Consulting Company was also founded by Selçuk Kaymakoğlu on November 13, 2020. The indictment alleged that the company issued false invoices to the Yunus Emre Foundation and that the procurement files were entirely fabricated and fabricated. This company was also found to be a regular client of RTÜK's work, and according to the Public Procurement Bulletin, it only received work from RTÜK.

RTÜK awarded the company nine separate organizational and service procurement projects, paying a total of 13,768,000 Turkish Lira. The tenders were also conducted using the negotiated procedure outlined in the Public Procurement Law.

The companies' official owners, Selçuk Kaymakoğlu and Soner Gezgin, were detained and released pending trial. However, according to the indictment, the companies were not subject to any investigation due to their RTÜK tenders.

THOSE WHOSE STATEMENTS COULD NOT BE TAKEN

On the other hand, statements were not taken from Yunus Emre Institute Vice Presidents Rahmi Göktaş and Abdullah Kutalmış Yalçın, who resigned from their posts after the nylon invoice scandal was revealed and who were alleged to have signed many documents.

Rahmi Göktaş, husband of Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Minister of Family and Social Services, formerly served as director of the Brussels Yunus Emre Institute. The couple's wedding was also attended by then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his wife Emine Erdoğan, and their daughters Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar and Esra Albayrak. The other Vice Chairman, Abdullah Kutalmış Yalçın, is the son of Semih Yalçın, a prominent MHP leader and longtime Deputy Chairman and Istanbul MP.

In his previous statement, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel said, “Let me show you Mr. Tayyip’s real octopus… The Yunus Emre Foundation robbery is the nationalist arm of the octopus.”

∗∗∗

INSTITUTE OF IDEALISTS EXECUTIVE

Ömer Yıldız, Vice President of the Idealist Hearths, has been appointed vice president of the Yunus Emre Institute, a subsidiary of the Yunus Emre Foundation, which operates in 88 locations across 66 countries. Yıldız has also been seen deactivating his social media account.

After tax inspectors from the Ministry of Treasury and Finance discovered that the foundation had been robbed using plastic invoices, two key figures at the Yunus Emre Institute resigned. The institute's vice presidents, Rahmi Göktaş and Abdullah Kutalmış Yalçın, resigned.

Rahmi Göktaş, who has resigned, is married to Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Minister of Family and Social Services. Göktaş previously served as Director of the Brussels Yunus Emre Institute. The couple's wedding was also attended by then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his wife Emine Erdoğan, and their daughters Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar and Esra Albayrak.

The other Vice President who resigned, Abdullah Kutalmış Yalçın, is the son of Semih Yalçın, one of the important figures of the MHP, who was a long-time Vice President and Istanbul MP.