Did the former Mardin trustee buy Minister Bak a 605 thousand lira prayer bead set? 'Süleyman's is a bit cheaper than yours'

A dispute broke out between CHP Kars Deputy İnan Akgün Alp and Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak during the budget negotiations at the TBMM Planning and Budget Committee.

According to the report by Evren Demirdaş from Sözcü; CHP's Alp criticized the appointment of a trustee to the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality, stating that gifts were purchased for ministers during the trustee's tenure and that the funds for these gifts came from the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality. Alp's speech was interrupted by the Chairman of the Planning and Budget Committee, Mehmet Muş.

'YOU HAVE A PRAYER BEAD-RELATED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MARDIN TRUSTEE'

CHP Deputy İnan Akgün Alp asked Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak during the committee meetings whether two prayer bead sets worth 605 thousand liras in today's value had been gifted to him during the period when the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality was managed by a trustee.

Alp stated, "Do you know someone named Eyüp Altun? You don't. He has a company called Fırat Silver, you don't know it. This person gifted you two prayer bead sets worth 605 thousand 208 liras when converted to today's value at the exchange rate of that time; he took the money from the Mardin trustee. These records are also in the books and accounts of the Mardin trustee. The prayer beads gifted to you and your other minister colleagues, Süleyman Soylu and İsmet Yılmaz, were also recorded. Because of this prayer bead-related relationship you have with the Mardin trustee, bills worth billions of liras have been issued. Look, Mr. Minister, it is not worth it for a single prayer bead. You are putting the resources of the poor people of Mardin into your pockets like prayer beads through trustees. If there is no such thing, if the trustee is lying, then why did you appoint a trustee? If it exists, it is in the trustee's books, it is in the municipalities' books; the names are specified and the invoices are there," he said.

'SÜLEYMAN'S IS A BIT CHEAPER THAN YOURS'

Alp concluded his speech with the following words:

"Mr. Minister, a trustee was appointed to Mardin and you came here the next day, both for you and your friends; this is a misfortune for you. Did Ahmet Türk ever gift you a 600 thousand lira prayer bead set? But the trustees gift them; they also gifted one to Süleyman Soylu. Süleyman's is a bit cheaper than yours. I don't know why, he was the one who appointed the trustee too. I am actually sad on your behalf because we have proven the relationship between this trustee policy and AK Party ministers through these prayer beads. You are also a former wrestler, you are an athlete; it is not worth these prayer beads for the country's money."

Minister Bak denied Alp's allegations by saying, "There is no such thing."