Savings barely passed through the Palace

The double standards in the government's austerity policy were exposed by the Presidential spending. It was determined that the Palace failed to make any cuts on any items planned for austerity measures. CHP MP Cevdet Akay, who scrutinized the Presidential spending, said, "It is unacceptable that the office that preaches thrift to its citizens does not sacrifice a single penny on its own spending."

The Presidency transferred 37.5 million TL to foundations and associations in 2024 under the name "Aid to Non-Profit Organizations." The Palace did not save a single penny from the funds allocated for foundations and associations.

SYMBOLIC

CHP member Akay emphasized that the savings rate on items expected to generate savings remained at symbolic levels. Akay's study noted the Palace's savings rates on certain items, which were described as "symbolic," as follows:

• Purchases of consumer goods and materials: 12.8 percent

• Real estate major repairs: 11.6 percent

• Representation and promotion: 7.2 percent

• Runners: 2 percent

• Service purchases: 0.5 percent

THE ECOSYSTEM OF THE PALACE

CHP member Akay emphasized that the Presidency's treatment and funeral expenses for 2024 were 1,666,000 Turkish Lira, saying, "While people can't find appointments at hospitals and access to even the most basic healthcare has become a crisis, the Presidency has spent more than 1.5 million Turkish Lira on its own treatment and funeral expenses. The budget's priority is not the people, but the Palace's own ecosystem."

Akay, stating that the table “reveals the government’s insincere austerity policy,” summarized it as follows:

"While the highest-ranking government official hasn't sacrificed a single penny, the nation is forced to cut back on its bread. While people can't buy fruit and vegetables at the market and still can't afford meat, the Presidency continues to fund structures disguised as foundations and associations. It's channeling the resources of the social welfare state not to public services, but to these parallel structures it has established."