09.06.2026 17:01
The unbelievable method of 3.1 billion lira corruption at Ege University was uncovered by a Court of Accounts report. It was revealed that suspects who disregarded the Public Procurement Law divided giant purchases into parts to avoid legal limits, and gave a 'direct procurement' contract to the same company three times in a single day. According to the report, more than half of the university's budget was transferred to just a few companies.
According to the statement from the İzmir Republic Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, an investigation has been launched into allegations that public officials working in the university's Revolving Fund Management Directorate and procurement units, along with various company representatives, acted in an organized manner and committed irregularities in public tenders and direct procurement processes.
44 PEOPLE DETAINED, 1 PERSON IS BEING SOUGHT
In this context, detention orders were issued for 45 suspects on the grounds that they provided benefits to certain companies and caused public loss. In a simultaneous operation conducted in 6 provinces centered in İzmir by the Financial Crimes Branch Directorate teams, 44 suspects, including public officials and company representatives, were detained. Efforts to capture one suspect are ongoing. During the operation, 2 unlicensed pistols were seized, and numerous digital materials were confiscated for examination.
3 BILLION 100 MILLION PUBLIC LOSS DETECTED
Meanwhile, it was stated that according to the inspections and evaluations, based on the Court of Accounts reports, it is assessed that approximately 3 billion 100 million lira of public loss occurred due to the procurement transactions carried out.
COURT OF ACCOUNTS REPORT REVEALED: 3 TENDERS TO THE SAME COMPANY ON THE SAME DAY
How the billion-lira heist was carried out came to light with striking findings in the Court of Accounts' 2024 Audit Report of Ege University. The report documented that procurements carried out by the University Administrative Financial Affairs Department and the Construction and Technical Affairs Department were awarded to the same companies through the "direct procurement" method, without holding tenders, by dividing them into portions below the legal limits.
The Court of Accounts report recorded the operation of the scandal with the following statements:
"In audits, it was observed that within 2024, in procurements made under direct procurement, 3 direct procurements were made to the same company on the same day, the procurements made through the same firm exceeded the level for open tender just within a single day's purchases, and this procurement method continued intermittently throughout the year, with more than half of the total budget allocated for goods and services procurement and construction maintenance repair being provided through a few companies."
PUBLIC PROCUREMENT LAW IGNORED
The report also referenced the explicit provisions in the Public Procurement Law, emphasizing that needs that should be met through tenders cannot be procured by dividing them into portions below the monetary limits. The Court of Accounts reported the irregularity with the following definitive finding in the conclusion section:
"Making repeated direct procurements by dividing into portions to stay below the monetary limit set in the Law constitutes a violation of the fundamental principles stated in Article 5 of the Law."
HANDSOME GUARD HAD GIVEN A CONFERENCE
Meanwhile, TikTok phenomenon Muhammet Sürmeli, known as 'Handsome Guard,' had also held a talk at Ege University in 2024 and received much criticism. During that time, critical comments poured in on images shared on social media, while videos showed Sürmeli teaching his signature handcuff moves to participants in the talk.