Erdoğan's security cost 150 mln liras in first half of 2021

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's army of security details cost a shocking 150 million Turkish Liras in the first six months of 2021, the daily BirGün reported on Aug. 19. Meanwhile, parliament's security department spent 54.2 million liras.

Thursday August 19 2021 12:43 pm

Duvar English

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's army of security details cost the country a whopping 151,162,000 Turkish Liras in the first six months of the year, the daily BirGün reported on Aug. 19.

Data from the Interior Ministry's Security General Directorate revealed that the spending for parliament safety measured at almost one-third of the president's with 54,226,000 liras.

The presidential security budget also surpassed those of the cybersecurity department, the narcotics department, the department for organized crime, and the intelligence department.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Alpay Antmen presented a parliamentary inquiry to Vice President Fuat Oktay, asking about the number of guards and vehicles in the presidential security detail.

"Security for the president is carried out without leaving any vulnerabilities, with sufficient personnel and equipment," Oktay said in response.

The official duties of the Presidential Security Department are defined as "protection of the president and their family, as well as their reputation, their residences, offices and transportation." Any residence the president is located in is also reportedly part of the office's protection duties.