Turkish opposition raises parliamentary question on ‘new presidential jet’

ANKARA

Four planes - ANA, ATA, GAP and DAP - are put for the use of the president, the prime minister and the ministers.

Turkey’s main opposition has issued a parliamentary question on reports that an Airbus worth 436 million Turkish Liras was bought by President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan using state finances.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy chair Sezgin Tanrıkulu demanded a response from Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek on the reports that Erdoğan, who is set to take over the office later this week, purchased an Airbus A330-243CJ to use during his presidential term.

“Is it true Erdoğan will use the plane during his presidency? If the reports are true, were the Prime Ministry’s discretionary funds used to purchase this plane?” Tanrıkulu asked.

Tanrıkulu also asked for the government to report on the total amount of money spent by the Prime Ministry’s discretionary funds.

The CHP deputy chair also asked if the name of the current ATA jet, which refers to Turkey’s first president and the republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, would be changed.

Tanrıkulu also addressed the claims that a hangar built in Ankara for a jet plane had to be rebuilt, as an Airbus could not fit inside the hanger. He also asked how the tender for rebuilding the hangar was undertaken, who won the tender bid and what other offers were placed in the bid.