ANKARA (CIHAN) - Turkish lawmakers voting anonymously on Tuesday sent former Turkish Energy Ministers Cumhur Ersümer and Zeki Cakan before the Turkish Supreme Court of Justice.
The parliament general assembly discussed corruption investigations into the accused politicians and voted to send them before the court.
A total of 369 lawmakers voted in favor of and 14 deputies voted against Ersümer. For Cakan, a total of 297 deputies voted to send his case before the Supreme Court while 57 deputies voted against it.
The two former energy ministers defended themselves in parliament and dismissed the accusations.
Before the vote on the ex-Ministers of Energy, Turkey's parliament voted on Tuesday to try former Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yýlmaz and former State Minister Günes Taner on corruption charges in the supreme court.
The Turkish parliamentary Corruption Investigation Commission decided last month that former Turkish energy ministers Cumhur Ersümer and Zeki Çakan should be brought before the Turkish Supreme Court of Justice.
Cumhur Ersümer was accused of illegally intervening in energy contracts while Zeki Cakan was charged with lowering the energy prices of natural gas being exported to Russia contrary to the interests of the Turkish state. They were accused of abusing their posts.
A total of 276 lawmakers out of 550 are necessary to send the accused before the Supreme Court.
In Turkey, high-level state officials such as presidents, prime ministers and ministers are tried in the Turkish Constitutional Court in the name of the Supreme Court.
Twelve former state ministers have been tried before the Supreme Court. Five of them were acquitted while seven of them were fined or sentenced to jail.
In 1981, then Customs, Beverages and Tobacco Minister Tuncay Mataracý was sentenced to 36 years of jail for abusing his post and bribery.