Ali Erbaş's controversial advice to citizens unable to afford meat: 'Because it is economical...'

As millions of minimum wage earners and retirees in Turkey are condemned to starvation wages due to the government's economic policies, a controversial piece of advice has come from the Presidency of Religious Affairs, which previously issued a fatwa stating that 'It is God who determines prices'.

Ali Erbaş, the President of Religious Affairs, who is frequently in the news for his luxury official vehicles, whose lunch menu never lacks meat dishes, and who was recently revealed to be paying 1,404 TL in rent for a triplex villa, has advised citizens who are longing for meat to 'eat bread, it is filling'.

According to a report by Sözcü, Erbaş stated in his article titled 'Bread Waste': "Because it is filling and economical, much of the daily nutritional value our bodies need is met by bread, and 44 percent of our daily energy is provided by bread."

IT IS 'FILLING AND ECONOMICAL'

Erbaş wrote the following in his book "Ramadan Diaries," sold at Diyanet representative offices and online:

"Bread is a staple food source, it is filling and economical. On average, 44 percent of our daily energy is provided by bread. When considering the average daily needs of men and women, consuming 300 grams of bread meets 30-36 percent of the required energy.

FULL OF VITAMINS

Bread meets 12-48 percent of iron, 39-42 percent of protein, 9-57 percent of calcium, 27-63 percent of vitamin B1, and 12-30 percent of vitamin B2 needs. However, a significant portion of the bread produced is thrown into the trash."