The Turkish president's palace, which is bigger than the White House in Washington, costs Turks 10 million liras a day

Turkish opposition describes Erdogan as "the world's most expensive president"

photo_camera PHOTO/Turkish presidential press office via REUTERS - The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkish opinion claims that the Turkish presidential palace complex in the capital, Ankara, was costing the country more than 10 million liras, about $1.3 million a day. They also described President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the "most expensive president in the world".

The deputy chairman of the Republican People's Party (the largest opposition party) parliamentary bloc, Engin Altay, said Erdogan is "the most expensive president in the world" and costs taxpayers millions of liras every year.

"Do you know how much the security personnel for the presidency cost for 2020? 263.6 million liras, the state and our people are spending money to protect our president," he added at a press conference at the parliament building on Wednesday night. "Do not fear Erdogan, the era of coups is over and he is behind us, we will protect your life," he added.

He further said that "two helicopters and 110 vehicles accompany Erdogan on the 6-kilometre road between the Presidential Palace and the Parliament building every day".

"Is there a waste of money more than this? It's only 6 km away, only 6 km away. You are already in the capital of the Turkish Republic, 110 vehicles and two helicopters, what does this mean? Our president is accused and singled out," he said.

After all the criticism of the Turkish president for the high expenses, he added: "In short, Turkey, which has been exposed to shame in front of the world with such a level of inflation and with its collapsed economic indicators, is a country that uses the most expensive president in the world".

El presidente turco Recep Tayyip Erdogan se dirige a los miembros de su partido, el AKP, durante una reunión en el Parlamento en Ankara, el 11 de marzo de 2020

Because of the government's policies, Altay compared Turkey to a "sinking ship", saying that "you cannot save a sinking ship with a human rights story, a popular song for a homemade aeroplane, a joke about a new constitution and a homemade tank", referring to Erdogan's promises to undertake reforms in the country.

So far, the Turkish government has refused to show the cost of building the presidential palace, as well as the price of its maintenance. Meanwhile, the opposition says the presidential complex Erdogan built is bigger than the White House in Washington, the Kremlin in Moscow or even the Palace of Versailles outside Paris. 

The Turkish president inaugurated the palace on 30 August 2014 after becoming president. However, in March last year a report issued by the Turkish Audit Office showed that 4.5 million liras per day was spent in 2018 to cover the expenses of the complex.

More in Politics