Spending on 'bouquets' by AKP-run Şahinbey Municipality: '10,000 TL for a single flower arrangement'

It has been revealed through official documents that the AKP-run Şahinbey Municipality in Gaziantep paid 10,000 TL for a single bouquet of flowers via direct procurement, sparking a major public debate. The expenditure, made during a period when the economic crisis, high inflation, and the cost of living have reached their peak, has drawn a harsh reaction from the CHP.

The expenditure, which has made the municipality a target of criticism regarding its principles of transparent management and the use of public resources, came to light after entering the municipality's official records. The 10,000 TL invoice paid for a single bouquet of flowers has become a hot topic in the shadow of "austerity measures" debates.

"WHAT KIND OF FLOWER IS WORTH 10,000 TL?"

Hasan Şencan, Spokesperson for the CHP Group at the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Council, who brought the issue to the agenda, described the expenditure as "waste" in his statement to Cumhuriyet, reminding that millions of citizens are struggling to make ends meet. Şencan expressed his reaction with the following words:

"They are paying 10,000 TL for one bouquet. What kind of bouquet is this, and what kind of flowers are in it that it can be worth 10,000 TL? Who is it being sent to? This waste is unacceptable. It is throwing the citizens' money into the trash."

"WHILE THE PUBLIC 'SAVES', THEY ARE CONCERNED WITH OSTENTATION"

Pointing out that the priority in expenditures made from the public budget should always be the basic needs of the citizens, Hasan Şencan criticized the contradiction between the constant calls for "austerity" made to the public by official authorities and such expenditures by local governments. Şencan continued his statement with these expressions:

"They tell the citizens to 'practice austerity,' while they themselves are concerned with ostentation. This amount paid for a bouquet of flowers is equivalent to the monthly living expenses of many families today."

 "They should go out to the streets and listen to the people. The public says that the money squandered on this ostentation is our money. It might be easy to spend because the money is not coming out of their own pockets. However, that money belongs to the nation."

"CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY AND EXPLANATION"

Stating that the people of Gaziantep want accountability regarding how public resources are spent, Şencan made an urgent call to the Şahinbey Municipality: "They want the Şahinbey Municipality to explain the justification for the expenditure in question to the public. Citizens demand that public resources be used in a transparent and accountable manner."

News Source: 12punto