Diyanet responds to luxury spending criticism, labels critics a 'marginal group'

The Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), which has surpassed many ministries in terms of its budget and luxury spending, has responded to the criticism.

Mustafa Irmaklı, Head of Strategy Development at Diyanet, claimed that the criticism regarding the institution's expenditures was "intentionally carried out by a marginal group."

In a statement made on Diyanet TV, Irmaklı emphasized that a large portion of Diyanet's budget is allocated to personnel salaries and social security expenses, arguing that these criticisms harm the survival of the state.

Irmaklı stated, "The criticisms directed at Diyanet consist of sensational news aimed at misleading the public. Diyanet's budget constitutes only 1 percent of the general budget, and 95 percent of the 2025 budget is allocated to personnel expenses."

As reported by BirGün, he noted that 124 billion TL of the 130 billion TL 2025 budget is allocated to personnel salaries and social security premiums, and that they operate with limited resources using the remaining 6 billion TL.

News Source: 12punto