MHP proposes stipend for Ottoman dynasty members

ANKARA

The opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has submitted a legislative proposal to offer a stipend and other financial benefits to members of the Ottoman dynasty, saying some of them were faced with financial difficulties and should be “taken care of.”  

The proposal, presented to parliament by MHP lawmakers Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu and Mustafa Kalaycı, emphasized that members of the Ottoman dynasty, many of whom were expelled from Turkey in the early years of the republic, had remained loyal to their country in a noble way for a long time but some were currently facing financial problems. 

According to the proposal, those dynasty members who do not receive income from the dynasty or who have income below the wages of the Prime Ministry undersecretaries should receive a stipend of around 10,000 Turkish Liras, if they apply for it. It was also suggested that their health and funeral expenses should be covered and if their children studied in Turkey, they should benefit from state dorms and scholarships.  
 
In the proposal, it was also suggested that a commission should be formed to identify dynasty members living in Turkey or abroad and carry out this process with a “dynasty chief” to track dynasty members in order to prevent any future exploitations.   

“We expect to get support for this proposal not only from the ruling party but also from the opposition, because for us, these [people] are an ancestral heirloom. They have not said a word against Turkey. They have always looked after their country. They have lived honorable lives. Among them around 10 people are noted as being under financial hardship. Turkey is taking care of so many Syrian [migrants], so it can well take care of its ancestral heirloom. We hope that the proposal passes in parliament,” said Kalaycı. 

It is known that there are 77 dynasty members who are still alive, with 25 of them being princes, and they have been identified as living in Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, the U.S., England, France, Sweden and Spain. The Ottoman dynasty’s eldest and most senior member, Prince Osman Bayezid Osmanoğlu, lives in New York.