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Turkey's Erdogan invites opposition to get to bottom of gold toilet seat claims Turkey's Erdoğan invites opposition to get to bottom of gold toilet seat claims
(35 minutes later)
Turkey’s president has invited the country’s main opposition leader to inspect the lavatories in his lavish palace, insisting he will not find any gold-plated toilet seats. Turkey’s president has invited the country’s main opposition leader to inspect the lavatories in his lavish palace, insisting he would not find any gold-plated toilet seats.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan invited Kemal Kilicdaroglu to the 1,150-room palace for the inspection on Monday after the secular party leader accused Erdogan of excessive spending of taxpayers’ money on luxuries, including gold-plated toilet seats. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan invited Kemal Kiliçdaroğlu to the 1,150-room palace for the inspection on Monday after the leader of the secular Republican People’s party accused Erdoğan of spending taxpayers’ money on luxuries, including gold-plated toilet seats.
Turkey will have a general election on Sunday. Erdogan is not running but has been campaigning on behalf of the ruling party — which he headed for more than a decade. He hopes it can get a large enough majority to change the constitution and replace Turkey’s parliamentary political system with a presidential system with a powerful head of state. Turkey will hold a general election on Sunday. Erdoğan is not running but has been campaigning on behalf of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) party, which he headed for more than a decade. He hopes the Islamist party can get a large enough majority to change the constitution and replace Turkey’s parliamentary political system with a presidential system with a more powerful head of state.
Related: Turkey's new presidential palace unveiled - in picturesRelated: Turkey's new presidential palace unveiled - in pictures
Kilicdaroglu has refused to set foot in Erdogan’s palace — which opposition parties and some non-governmental organisations say was constructed on protected land despite court rulings — and has boycotted events there since it was inaugurated last year. Kiliçdaroğlu has refused to set foot in Erdoğan’s palace – which opposition parties and some non-governmental organisations say was constructed on protected land despite court rulings – and has boycotted events there since it was inaugurated last year.
The vast complex in Ankara was built on farm and forest land that was once the property of modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and has been dubbed “the illegal palace” by critics. The vast complex in Ankara was built on farm and forest land that was once the property of modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and has been dubbed “the illegal palace” by critics.
“A president who respects the rule of law and court decisions would not live in an illegal place,” said Gursel Tekin, secretary general of Kilicdaroglu’s Republican People’s party. “A president who respects the rule of law and court decisions would not live in an illegal place,” said Gürsel Tekin, secretary general of the Republican People’s party.
“It is out of the question for Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who has espoused the notion of the supremacy of the law ... to go to the illegal palace,” he said. “It is out of the question for Kemal Kiliçdaroğlu, who has espoused the notion of the supremacy of the law ... to go to the illegal palace,” he said.
On Sunday, Erdogan told state-run TRT television in an interview that he would resign if Kilicdaroglu found a gold-plated toilet seat at the $620m palace. On Sunday, Erdoğan told state-run TRT television in an interview that he would resign if Kiliçdaroğlu found a gold-plated toilet seat at the $620m (£408m) palace.
He also challenged Kilicdaroglu to resign if none was found. He also challenged Kiliçdaroğlu to resign if none was found.
The interview was conducted in a palace room decorated with gold-coloured furniture.The interview was conducted in a palace room decorated with gold-coloured furniture.