Balls purchased by AKP-run Şahinbey Municipality for 111 million were imported from India
The fact that 160,000 sports balls purchased by Şahinbey Municipality for distribution to students were imported from India has sparked public backlash.
12punto
On January 6, 2025, Şahinbey Municipality held two tenders for the purchase of a total of 160,000 footballs, basketballs, and volleyballs to be distributed to students. A total of 111 million 430 thousand TL was spent on these purchases.
According to a report by Sözcü, it has emerged that the footballs purchased were not produced in Turkey but were imported from India.
PREFERENCE FOR IMPORTS OVER DOMESTIC PRODUCTION
The municipality's large expenditure has been criticized due to the balls' origin being India. Despite the presence of many domestic manufacturers in Turkey, the spending of public funds on products imported from abroad has drawn backlash during a period of economic crisis and high inflation. This situation has raised questions such as, "is this waste, or support for a crony importer?"