Following main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's claim at a rally in western Turkey that the newly-built Presidential Palace has gilded toilet seats as an unnecessary ornament, an invitation by the Presidential Secretary-General is expected to be sent to the CHP leader soon as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan challenged Kılıçdaroğlu to prove his claims.
In a televised interview on Sunday Erdoğan invited the opposition leader to come and see the Presidential Palace. He said: "If he [Kılıçdaroğlu] is honest, I will instruct my secretary-general, Kılıçdaroğlu can come to the Presidential Palace to see a gilded toilet seat. Is he ready to leave the post if he cannot see a gilded toilet seat? If he finds one, I am ready to leave my post if he finds a seat like that."
The Presidential Palace located in the Söğütözü district of Ankara, tentatively dubbed "Ak Saray" (White Palace), was opened on Oct. 29 and has come under the microscope since the day it opened by both national and local media outlets.
Many claims have been put forward regarding the construction and price of the palace. Kılıçdaroğlu openly declared that he would not be one of the visitors of the palace.
Highlighting that the palace is not his own property, but the nation's, Erdoğan said he meets with representatives of the nation at the palace, including taxi and bus drivers and village headmen.
