Ali Erbaş had said 'Eat bread, it is filling': A daily meal cost for an imam is 1000 liras!

Diyanet President Ali Erbaş, who frequently makes headlines with his luxury spending and whose budget surpasses that of many ministries, has offered advice that has drawn backlash.

Erbaş offered nutritional advice to citizens who are struggling to make ends meet due to the high cost of living and who long to eat meat.

It has emerged that Erbaş, who essentially acted as a nutritionist, advised citizens to 'Eat bread, it is filling' in an article titled 'Bread waste'.

According to a report by Sözcü, Erbaş stated in his article: “Because it is filling and economical, much of the daily nutritional value our body needs is met by bread, and 44 percent of our daily energy is provided by bread. Bread is a staple food source, it is filling and economical. On average, 44 percent of our daily energy is provided by bread. Considering the average daily needs of a woman and a man, consuming 300 grams of bread meets 30-36 percent of the required energy.”

Following Erbaş's controversial advice, 12punto columnist and economist Meriç Köyatası recalled the 7 million 885 thousand 525 TL food tender signed by the Diyanet in May 2024 for the Hafız Ali Haydar Özak Religious Specialization Center in Trabzon, which houses a total of 76 people, including 51 staff members and 25 students.

RELATED NEWS - Diyanet's food tender did not get caught in austerity: Pistachios and hazelnuts in baklava will be of first-class quality

In the contract in question, while conditions were set for meat such as it being from a male animal, having a pink color, and specifying its texture, firmness, and fat ratio, it was noted that conditions were also set for baklava, requiring walnuts, hazelnuts, and Antep pistachios to be of 1st-class quality.

Meriç Köyatası calculated the per-person cost of the food tender for the 76 people at the Diyanet's institution in Trabzon.

Accordingly, at the Diyanet, managed by Erbaş who gives citizens the advice to “Eat 300 grams of bread a day,” each person is allocated 533 grams of pink-colored meat and 190 grams of pistachio baklava per day.

According to the calculation revealed by Meriç Köyatası, the daily food cost for just one staff member at the Diyanet reaches 1000 TL.

The calculation is as follows:

“The price of the meat they mentioned today is between 900-1500 liras per kilo. (Prices for ground meat, lamb cubes, and tenderloin. Let's say an average of 1200 liras.)

A kilo of pistachio baklava is 1200 liras at the Güllüoğlu store...

1200 x 0.533 grams = 639 TL for the meat dish

1200 x 190 grams = 228 TL for the dessert...

I am not writing down the prices of side dishes like rice, vegetables, tomato paste, ayran, cacık, yogurt, etc.

The raw material cost of just two items in one meal for an imam is 639 + 228 = 867 liras.

With side dishes and the materials used for cooking, it is at least 1000 liras per day for one imam...”

News Source: 12punto