PodcastPresidency does not reveal the number of Erdoğan's bodyguards
Vice President Fuat Oktay responded to a nine question inquiry by an opposition MP regarding the number of personnel and the number of vehicles used by the Presidency with a one paragraph response, simply stating that the protection granted to the president was sufficient.
Serkan Alan/ DUVAR
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Atila Sertel submitted a parliamentary inquiry regarding the number of bodyguard personnel and vehicles utilized by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, after it was learned that 250 bodyguards and trucks carrying 30 protective vehicles were sent to Izmir for a recent Erdoğan visit.
The inquiry included questions regarding the number of personnel, the number of vehicles, and the total cost of fuel used. Vice President Fuat Oktay responded to the nine question inquiry with a one paragraph response, simply stating that the protection granted to the president was sufficient.
“Mr President is traveling to Izmir with 250 bodyguards. Their vehicles are being transported in trucks. If they say this, people will say 'what is the deal with that ?' For this reason they can't give an answer. They are saying it is sufficient. How much is that? Sufficient security can be provided by the security forces in the cities,” Sertel said.
Referring to the CHP Istanbul provincial leader Canan Kaftancıoğlu, Sertel asked why bodyguards assigned to her were suddenly removed from duty last month:
“Is Mrs. Canan's life not important? She is a target, and they are involved in any kind of systematic attacks, and then they withdraw her body guards. This is inhumane and unconscionable,” Sertel said of the Istanbul CHP leader, who has been widely credited for being the architect of current Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu's successful campaign.
As a result, supporters point to the recent court cases filed against Kaftancıoğlu for tweets she wrote years ago, insisting that this is revenge on the part of the government for her unprecedented success in helping dethrone the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) from their longtime leadership in Istanbul.
Ertel asked a number of questions involving the specific number of personnel and vehicles allocated o to the president, the make of vehicles, and the total cost of fuel involved, which Oktay failed to directly respond to.