Most 'Facilities' Inaugurated By PM Turn Out To Be Trivial

What was referred to as “facilities” and for which an inauguration ceremony was held with the participation of high-level officials including Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu turned out to be road warning signs, electrical transformers, fire lookout towers, buildings still under construction and a community clinic that has been in service for 10 years, a Turkish daily reported on Tuesday.

According to Milli Gazete, among the 152 “facilities” introduced to the public with a ceremony in February, there is an astroturf football pitch, a dressing room for the pitch, electric transformers, warning signs and an artificial pool.

What was promoted as “facilities” for the public in a ceremony marked by the participation of the prime minister and several ministers also included a storehouse for a private company, a fountain in a village and a scout camp.

Speaking to Milli Gazete, Sinan Aktaş, Alanya district branch head of the Felicity Party (SP), said of those 152 facilities, 58 were electricity distribution lines and that there wasn't a factory among them.

“There used to be a textile factory in Antalya, but it was closed. No factory has been opened [since then]. There is no word to say if a party that got 50 percent of the vote [in 2011 elections] promotes such things as ‘projects,'” said Aktaş.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has been organizing ceremonies to mark the opening of facilities in a bid to strengthen the party's image with voters ahead of parliamentary elections on June 7.

However, the ceremony held in Antalya, purportedly to mark the opening of facilities that will serve the province's inhabitants, has became a source of disappointment for local people, as those facilities turned out to be buildings and services that will not bring about significant changes to their lives.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)