Turkey’s top religious body head took private jet to Pakistan amidst economic crisis
It has come out to light that Diyanet head Ali Erbaş used a private jet for his last week's travel to Pakistan, the daily BirGün reported.
Duvar English
Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) head Ali Erbaş traveled to Lahore and Islamabad provinces of Pakistan on Feb. 17 with a private jet registered in the Presidential fleet, the daily BirGün reported.
A delegation of ten people from Diyanet accompanied Erbaş on the trip.
Erbaş previously complained about not renewing his car which is 11 years old. He said he couldn’t change it due to the fear of criticism from the opposition.
The Diyanet's budget often comes under scrutiny in Turkey. Billions of liras were allocated to the body for 2022 and its budget exceeds those of some ministries.
In January, inflation jumped to nearly 50% after a currency crash late last year triggered by Erdoğan's unorthodox low interest rate policy, raising the cost of living for Turks already struggling to make ends meet. The independent inflation group ENAG put the figure at 114.87 percent.
However, the expenses of members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) continue to be luxurious despite the economic crisis.