Exam Fraud, 'Parallel State' Probes Merged İn Turkey

Turkey's public prosecutor has combined an investigation in which US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen is alleged to be the key suspect in a 2010 nationwide examinations fraud with a probe into "parallel state" allegations.



Public Prosecutor Yucel Erkman, who is investigating the fraud in the Public Personnel Selection Examination known by the initials KPSS in Turkey and upon which recruitment for jobs in the country's civil and public services are based, sent the file on the investigation to public prosecutor Serdar Coskun, who is probing "parallel state" allegations in Turkey, on Thursday.



"According to evaluations and evidence about Gulen who is shown to be at the first rank in the exam fraud, actual and personal connection exists between the two cases," Erkman said a ruling issued by the prosecutor's office. 



The "parallel state" case involves allegations that a purported group of Turkish bureaucrats and senior officials reportedly embedded in the country's institutions, including the judiciary and police, are trying to undermine the Turkish government.



Police have detained 75 people - 40 of whom are civil servants - since March 23 in simultaneous operations in a number of provinces including Istanbul, Bursa, Isparta, Samsun, Sakarya, Sivas, Eskisehir, Corum, Batman and Izmir.



'Strong suspicion'



The suspects face charges of membership of a criminal organization, document fraud, illegal and harmful activity in public institutions, destroying criminal evidence and abuse of power.



Some of the suspects who police have sought to detain are living abroad.



Thirteen people have been released while out of the remaining 62, 32 have been detained by the court and the remainder released under judicial monitoring.



The prosecutor said the detentions were due to a "strong suspicion that the suspects have indeed committed the crimes they have been charged with".



In a separate incident, Unal Yarimagan and Ali Demir, the former chairmen of Turkey's Student Selection and Placement Center which conducts examinations of would-be university students, have been charged over the exam fraud. 



Yarimagan is charged with "failing to provide the exam's security" and Demir with "abusing power and destroying exam booklets".



www.aa.com.tr/en - Ankara