Minister Soylu: We are Modest People, I Didn’t Receive Any Gifts

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Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu has spoken about the documents showing that Mardin Governor Mustafa Yaman, who has been appointed as a trustee to Mardin Metropolitan Municipality for the second time, gave 136 thousand lira worth of gifts to President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and almost 40 thousand lira worth of gifts to Minister Soylu in the previous period.

Answering the questions of Ahmet Hakan from the daily Hürriyet, Soylu has said that he did not receive the gifts in question and added, "We are modest people." The dialogue between the two is briefly as follows:

'I attended a single event of Mardin Municipality'

Ahmet Hakan: A silverware shop in Mardin, it made out an invoice in your name. And the trustee in Mardin paid it from the budget of the municipality. An invoice of almost 40 thousand Turkish Lira... Did the municipality of the trustee give such an expensive gift to you?

Süleyman Soylu: I did not receive such a gift. There are no gifts that I received from the municipality. I attended a single event of the Mardin Municipality and it was a fast-breaking meal.

'We are modest people'

AH: But, there is an invoice...

SS: When a minister goes to a city, the invoice is made out in his or her name. It is the case not only for me, but for all senior officials of the state as well. But, these expenses are not that excessive. Expenses such as car rentals and accommodation... We are modest people. We do not have such excessive expenses.

'I did not receive gifts or something'

AH: But, Dear Minister, the invoice I am talking about is not such an invoice... It is the invoice of a silverware store in Mardin. An invoice of almost 40 thousand lira...

SS: It is beside the point that I received such a gift. I have given an instruction of inspection for the investigation of the issue. Let's see what that invoice is about! There is only one thing that I know: I did not receive gifts or something. I don't. God forbid, it is out of the question that I do something like that.

'I have given an instruction for investigation'

AH: Was that the trustee who made out the invoice in your name?

SS: I have given an instruction so that it will be investigated. Especially about the Municipality of Mardin... I ordered a special inspection. We have to take our steps moderately. Our failures hurt the state and nation. Our duty does not tolerate mistakes. We cannot whet anyone's appetite.

'We have apparently hurt them a lot'

AH: And there is one more thing: A photograph is circulating... You went to the silverware shop that made out the invoice in your name. There are the ones who share this photo, saying 'Here is the picture showing Süleyman Soylu while choosing gifts.' What will you say to that?

SS: It is an utter immorality, meanness... We are visiting the shopkeepers there. The shop owners are showing us the prayer beads, saying 'We have such and such prayer beads.' They have taken this photograph and are using it. It means that we have hurt them a lot. They are raking it up. Let them rake it up then...

CLICK - Mardin Trustee Allegedly Gave Thousands of Lira Worth of Presents to Erdoğan, Ministers

(EKN/SD)