He announced the Bosphorus transit event: 'Has Turkey become a family business?'

Selçuk Bayraktar, son-in-law of President and AKP Chairman Erdoğan and Chairman of the Board of BAYKAR, announced the “TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland” transit ceremony to be held in the Bosphorus on August 30-31. However, Bayraktar's role in announcing the event and the fact that a public event was announced by an executive of a private company caused a major stir on social media. Reactions were expressed with questions such as, “Has Turkey now turned into a family business?”

BAYRAKTAR ANNOUNCES THE PARADE

In a statement he made on the TCG Anadolu, Selçuk Bayraktar provided information about the TCG Anadolu, the Savarona, and other naval vessels that will transit the Bosphorus on August 30-31.

Bayraktar said, “We are currently on the TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland transit. We are passing through the Bosphorus with the TCG Anadolu and our other national naval assets. This is a special event for the August 30 Victory Day and will be open to visits from our entire nation.”

BAYRAKTAR’S SPEECH SPARKS DEBATE

Bayraktar’s announcement of a public event in his capacity as an executive of his own private company drew significant backlash on social media. Various comments were made, such as, “Turkey is now being managed like a family business.” Users pointed out that the announcement of important state events by a private company executive indicates that the distinction between the public and private sectors has disappeared.

"WHY BAYKAR"

The fact that a public event was announced by the owner of a private company was not considered appropriate by many. The question, "Why is the owner of Baykar making the announcement?" frequently came up on social media. This situation raised questions regarding the functioning of the government and the relationship between the state and the private sector.

In his statement about the event, Bayraktar said, “We are taking the most important steps for the defense of the Blue Homeland. The ships that will pass through the Bosphorus on August 30-31 will showcase not only the power of the navy but also Turkey’s influence at sea.” It was also stated that this event would include competitions and technology shows to be held within the scope of TEKNOFEST.

Social media users criticized Selçuk Bayraktar’s statements, asking, “Will the important public events of Turkey be announced by the executives and employees of a family business?”