VIP Hajj for the wife of Diyanet President Ali Erbaş!

Seher Erbaş, the wife of Diyanet President Prof. Dr. Ali Erbaş, performed her Hajj pilgrimage this year as well under the VIP quota. It was stated that Seher Erbaş has made these visits a total of 6 times.

According to a report by Sözcü, it was noted that Seher Erbaş also performed the Hajj pilgrimage with the same status in 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and it had previously emerged that she went to Saudi Arabia and performed the Hajj last year without entering the lottery.

LUXURY ACCOMMODATION AND PRIVATE VEHICLE DETAIL

The Erbaş family's Hajj journey was accompanied by VIP privileges this year as well. The family first traveled to Riyadh, then moved on to Medina and subsequently to Mecca. It was reported that they stayed in a luxury suite allocated by the Mecca Religious Services Attaché and used a black American-brand GMC SUV.

It was alleged that the vehicle in question is registered to the consulate but was effectively allocated to Seher Erbaş. In past Hajj visits, Seher Erbaş was also accompanied by a police bodyguard.

The "protocol Hajj" and VIP quota practices, which have long been a subject of debate within the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), are drawing reactions from the public and especially from citizens who have been waiting for their turn for years. Since President Ali Erbaş took office in 2017, his wife Seher Erbaş has taken part in almost every visit he has made to Saudi Arabia.

Because the Hajj could not be performed in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Seher Erbaş could not go on Hajj during those two years. However, with this year's trip, she has performed the Hajj a total of 6 times.

2 MILLION PEOPLE ARE WAITING IN LINE

Saudi Arabia applies quotas to countries for those who wish to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. This year, 1 million 849 thousand 584 people applied for the Hajj from Turkey. As a result of the lottery draw, only 84 thousand 942 people earned the right to perform the Hajj. Approximately 2 million citizens remain in the lottery for next year.