Turkey’s massive presidential palace further expands into the Atatürk Forest

ANKARA

DHA Photo

Additional land, measuring 8,406 square meters, of the Atatürk Forest Farm (AOÇ) has been allocated to the new presidential palace, Ak Saray, strongly criticized due to its cost and size.

In official documents, the area has been allocated to the prime ministry, because Ak Saray was originally intended to be a new building for the prime minister, but it was reallocated to the president after Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won the presidential elections.

The council of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality has approved the allocation of the area for the president’s palace free of charge for two years.

The petition has been approved by a majority of votes, despite appeals from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) members in the council.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan opened the new palace on the outskirts of Ankara in October. It has 1,150 rooms and was built at a cost of about 490 million euros ($615 million).

A resident for the president, a mosque and a culture center are still waiting to be completed in the presidential complex.