Turkish main opposition vows to dedicate ‘unlicensed palace’ to university

ANKARA

AA Photo

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has retracted his claim that Ak Saray, the new presidential palace, was unlicensed, but vowed to donate the facility to the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ), the prestigious school in the capital city of Ankara, if the CHP comes to power.

“The so-called sultan has built this for himself in a country where 3 million people are unemployed,” Kılıçdaroğlu said on Nov. 4 while addressing his party’s parliamentary group, in an open reference to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“You cut hundreds of trees down to build yourself the palace," he said, stressing that people used to picnic at the Atatürk Forest Farm in the center of Ankara where the palace was built.

The opposition leader also claimed there was corruption in the building process of the palace.

According to the Court of Accounts’ figures, the constructors who took part in the giant project were overpaid at rates ranging from 230 percent to 1,915 percent, he said as his supporters chanted “A thief is there.”