Istanbul: Irritated by accusations of lavishness, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to resign if the leader of the main opposition can find a single golden toilet seat in his vast new palace. Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) has repeatedly criticised Mr Erdogan’s profligacy in campaign speeches ahead of a June 7 parliamentary election.
“Gentlemen in Ankara, palaces have been built for you, planes bought, Mercedes cars purchased ... golden seats have been bought, that’s how you use the toilet,” Mr Kilicdaroglu said at a rally in Aegean on Saturday.
Mr Erdogan, who moved into the controversial new 1,000-room palace complex after winning a presidential election last August, challenged Mr Kilicdaroglu to prove his assertion.
“I invite him to please come and take a tour ... I wonder if he will be able to find such a golden toilet seat in any of these washrooms. If he finds it, I will resign from the presidency,” Mr Erdogan said.
