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The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has fined the STV and the Samanyolu Haber television stations over their descriptions of a luxury car purchased for Religious Affairs Directorate President Mehmet Görmez.
According to the samanyolu.com news portal, the Samanyolu Media Group has been fined TL 118,000 for reporting that Görmez's Mercedes was “a car worth 1 million Turkish lira.” RTÜK justified its decision to fine the media outlets on the grounds that their reporting contradicted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's previous claim that the price of the car was around TL 300,000 or TL 320,000. However, samanyolu.com revealed official documents proving that the car cost a total of TL 1,006,641.64.
The purchase of the car sparked debate across the country, with critics slamming the directorate as an extravagant waste of taxpayer money in a country where 17 million people live below the poverty line. Confronted with harsh reactions, Görmez stated that his office would return the car.
In response, Erdoğan lashed out at critics during a public rally in May, saying that if he had known about Görmez's plans to return the car, he would have recommended that “his” Religious Affairs Directorate president keep it, adding, “This post well deserves such a car.”
Görmez took his first ride in his luxury Mercedes on his way to attend an iftar, or fast-breaking dinner, hosted by Erdoğan at his presidential palace -- dubbed “Ak Saray” -- on June 23. Görmez continues to use the Mercedes as his official car.
(Cihan/Today's Zaman)
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