Public personnel exam canceled over fraud allegations

ANKARA

The 2022 Public Personnel Selection Exam (KPSS) has been canceled over fraud allegations, and the new exam process is set to begin by Sept. 17, announces Bayram Ali Ersoy, the newly appointed head of the Center for Assessment, Selection and Placement (ÖSYM).

Amid an investigation initiated by the State Supervisory Board (DDK) over the allegation that some of the 2022 KPSS questions were published by a publishing house before the exam, the KPSS sessions held on July 31 were canceled and the sessions planned to be held on Aug. 6-7 and 14 were postponed, Ersoy said.

“We apologize to all candidates for this unfortunate situation, which caused cancellations and postponements in a way we never wanted,” Ersoy added.

KPSS candidates whose exams have been canceled will not be charged any additional fees in the new exam process, which will start on Sept. 17.

“This is never acceptable in terms of both the working principles of our institution, the law and the conscience of the public,” said Ersoy, appointed to replace Halis Aygün, who was dismissed by the presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on Aug. 3.

In his post on social media, Yunus Arıncı, the head of DDK, said, “It was deemed necessary to cancel the exam in order to ease the public conscience and not leave any question marks in the minds of any of our citizens. We, as DDK, will continue to inform our citizens transparently about the process.”

The DDK, which initiated an investigation upon the instruction of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, filed a criminal complaint with the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

“A search and seizure operation was carried out at the publishing house and a private teaching institution and some digital materials and question booklets were seized,” the prosecutor’s office in a written statement said, underlining that the investigation is ongoing.

Erdoğan made a statement regarding the allegations earlier and said, “The data obtained as a result of the examination of DDK regarding the 2022 KPSS will be meticulously evaluated and the necessary steps will be taken immediately. We will never allow even a single child to be a victim.”

Meanwhile, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Ankara deputy, Ali Haydar Hakverdi, brought the allegations to the agenda of the parliament by submitting a parliamentary motion to the office of the parliament speaker, requesting a written response from Education Minister Mahmut Özer.