AKP and CHP to repay money to Treasury, court rules

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) will have to repay to the Treasury some expenses illegally claimed back in 2011, the Constitutional Court ruled on April 14. 

The ruling came after the court audited political parties' expenses for the year 2011.  

In the ruling published in the Official Gazette, it was stated that the AKP claimed expenses for a large number of people, including journalists, for attending events organized by the party. 

The expenses claimed by the AKP for people not invited to the programs, or whose invitations were not presented to the court, violated the rules over expenses claims, and 9,328 Turkish Liras should be repaid to the Treasury, the court ruled.

It also stated that the expenses of AKP members were not documented properly and 3,060 liras should be repaid in relation to this. 

The Constitutional Court also ruled that the transportation expenses paid to voters who live in Northern Cyprus and wanted to vote in Turkey was illegal, and as a result the AKP must repay 272,771 liras. 

Meanwhile, the court cited problems in the advance payment documents that the CHP gives to its personnel, noting that the advance payments given to party personnel were not made within the correct legal framework, which amounted to the illegal use of party resources. 

The CHP was therefore ordered to repay 307,384 liras to the Treasury.

The court also examined the Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) expenses claimed in 2011 and found no problems.
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