Journalist asks for Eid pocket money from PM Erdoğan

ISTANBUL

Sultan Akten requested pocket money from Prime Minister Erdoğan after he had performed his Eid prayer in Istanbul. Hürriyet photo

A reporter has requested pocket money from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as he was leaving his morning Eid prayer in Istanbul, in a traditional gesture normally practiced by children with their parents.

After Erdoğan had performed his prayer, he approached a group of waiting reporters, which included Sultan Akten from the private broadcaster TGRT. “We could not celebrate Eid with our parents yet. So I would like say ‘happy Eid’ to you, and for you to give my pocket money instead of my father,” Akten said.

The move made the other reporters and those accompanying the prime minister laugh, after which Erdoğan handed her the requested pocket money.

After video footage of the scene drew negative reactions on social media, Akten took to Twitter to defend herself. “I’m even an opponent to myself. The magazine [celebrity] is also news,” she tweeted.
 
It turned out that Aktan had planned the move before, as she had previously posted an earlier tweet saying: “As I have to wake up at 5 a.m. in the morning, I’ll definately get my pocket money from him.”