ANKARA
The Turkish parliament's corruption inquiry committee to look into corruption claims against four former ministers will call 15 MPs from political parties represented in parliament.
Former Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan, Interior Minister Muammer Guler and Urbanization Minister Erdogan Bayraktar resigned from their posts after an anti-graft probe was launched on December 17 last year. EU Minister Egemen Bagis was discharged in a cabinet reshuffle.
The Turkish parliament approved on Monday to set up a parliamentary inquiry committee to investigate four former ministers accused of corruption.
A total of 469 lawmakers cast their votes in a secret ballot, 453 of which were in favor, nine against, six abstentions and one void.
The political party groups will appoint MPs in accordance with their parties's representation rate in parliament to the 15 member committee.
MPs, who have spoken on the issue on the corruption claims of the former ministers both in or out of parliament, will not eligible to be a member of the committee. Those who are eligible will be determined at the general assembly to be committee members by drawing lots.
The committee will continue its works closed to the public; however, it will issue a report to the parliament speaker's office at the end of a two-month investigation.
After the committee issues its report to parliament - officially after two months - the MPs will vote on the report by secret ballot at the general assembly.
If the MPs approve the report with an absolute majority with 276 MPs of the 550 members of the Turkish Parliament - the four former ministers will be tried in the supreme court.
The committee is entrusted with extensive authority to demand and/or seize the corruption claims' documentation from public and private institutions and will be able to hear the cabinet members, the witnesses to the corruption claims and experts' opinions.
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