Erdogan says luxury jumbo is ´gift´ from Qatar emir
Ankara: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the emir of Qatar gave a luxury jumbo jet as a "gift" to Turkey, rejecting opposition claims the plane had been bought in a costly purchase for the presidency.In comments published Monday, Erdogan said Turkey had shown interest in buying the on-sale Boeing 747-8 plane -- reportedly worth around $400 million -- but Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani insisted on offering the plane as a gift."We were interested. When the Qatar emir was informed of this he gave it as a gift, saying ´I won´t take money from Turkey. I will give this plane as a gift.´"The Turkish president insisted that while the jet would be used for his trips, "the plane is not mine, it is the Turkish Republic´s", in comments to reporters while returning from a visit to Azerbaijan.Erdogan said that once the paintwork was finished he hoped to use the plane for travel.Gulf media have said that the giant plane, which was part of Tamim´s personal fleet, is equipped for only 76 passengers and has lounges and boardrooms.His remarks came after criticism last week by lawmakers from the main opposition Republican People´s Party (CHP), who claimed Erdogan had bought the plane.CHP MP Gamze Tascier said on Twitter that a sales official from a company based in Switzerland confirmed the sale of a Boeing 747-8 jet. "The company says it was sold, supporters say it was a gift," she said on Thursday.After Erdogan´s latest remarks, CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu hit back at Erdogan and questioned his "honour" over the move to accept such a gift."How can it not cause you discomfort?" Kilicdaroglu said on Monday.The CHP and Erdogan´s critics have repeatedly accused the Turkish strongman of having a penchant for luxury, notably in the vast new Ankara presidential palace that opened in 2014.Erdogan however has hit back by saying that such facilities are national assets worthy of a state of Turkey´s importance.The plane is also a new symbol of the close relationship between Doha and Ankara that has seen both sides help the other in times of trouble.Doha promised to make a $15 billion direct investment in Turkey during the Washington-Ankara spat last month which saw the lira´s value fall drastically against the dollar.
from The News International - World https://ift.tt/2ME8wB6
from The News International - World https://ift.tt/2ME8wB6
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