Report reveals sacked minister's company granted 1.4 million lira 'investment support'

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The Ministry of Industry and Technology granted 1.4 million lira (~168,000 USD) investment support for a company owned by Ruhsar Pekcan, who was dismissed as the minister of trade on April 21, according to a report by daily Sözcü.

Pekcan was sacked by a presidential decree after it was revealed that the Ministry of Trade had bought nine million lira (~1.08 million USD) worth of disinfectants from her company. She had defended the purchase, saying that the supplies were sold to the ministry under the market value.

While the government has not confirmed or denied that Pekcan was replaced because of this purchase, Sözcü's report revealed that her company also received investment support.

The Technology Ministry announced on its website that small and medium-sized enterprises had been granted financial support of up to six million lira as part of the "SME Tehcnoinvestment Support Program."

The Nanoksia company, which is owned by Pekcan, received 1,44 million lira of support for investments in disinfectant production, according to the website.

The company was founded in İstanbul in 2019 and made 2.5 million lira of investments for the production of insecticides and other agricultural-chemical products in Tekidağ, according to official records.

Pekcan was appointed as the minister of trade in July 2018, following the elections on June 24. (RT/VK)