Diyanet's private office expenditures are staggering: 'In 6 months...'
The Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), which calls on citizens to practice austerity, has spent millions of liras on private office services. It has emerged that the budget allocated for Ali Erbaş's correspondence, protocol expenses, and ceremony organizations reached 27.6 million TL in just the first half of the year.
12punto
The 2024 private office expenditures of the Presidency of Religious Affairs have come to light through reports detailing the institution's financial structure. It was determined that in the January-June period, exactly 27 million 613 thousand TL was spent on Ali Erbaş's official and private correspondence, protocol duties, and the organization of ceremonies.
LUXURY EXPENDITURES DRAW ATTENTION
It has drawn attention that Diyanet, which calls on citizens to "avoid waste," has spent millions on private office services. According to the report, while the private office budget for 2024 was set at 78 million 187 thousand TL, of the 27.6 million TL spent in the first half of the year, 22.7 million was allocated to personnel expenses, 2.5 million to social security premiums, and 2.2 million to the purchase of goods and services.
HUGE INCREASES IN BUDGETS
Diyanet's private office expenditures will increase even further in the coming years. According to the report, a private office budget of 80.2 million TL is projected for 2025, 92.9 million TL for 2026, and 104.3 million TL for 2027.
WHAT DO THE EXPENDITURE ITEMS COVER?
The private office budget covers the official correspondence of the President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş, his domestic and international programs, protocol duties, and ceremony organizations. The expenditures also include travel, private correspondence, and ceremony arrangements.