The White Palace, the residence of the Turkish President, has more than 1,000 rooms, with an investment cost of over 600 million USD, and possesses many modern, luxurious facilities.
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| Known as Ak Saray (White Palace), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's residence is located on a 4 square kilometer estate on a wooded hilltop on the edge of the capital Ankara. The White Palace was completed in 2014. Photo: Anadolu Agency |
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| According to the Telegraph, the Turkish presidential palace is larger than the White House in Washington, USA, the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, and even the Palace of Versailles, near Paris, France. Photo: EPA |
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| The project to build the Turkish presidential palace was controversial because the government had to cut down hundreds of trees to make way for the construction. The site of the palace was previously a forest reserve left by the founder of modern Türkiye, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Photo: AFP |
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| The 1,000-room mansion has marble-paved corridors and courtyards, and is equipped with a high-tech security system to prevent electronic eavesdropping devices. Many of the building's components were designed by Erdogan himself. The construction cost over $650 million, not including the interior. Photo: Anadolu Agency |
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| Environmentalists have accused Mr Erdogan of wasting public money on the project, affecting the surrounding green areas. However, Mr Erdogan remains steadfast in his plans. He once said: "No one can stop this building from being completed. If they are strong enough, let them come and destroy it." Photo: AFP |
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| A pair of doors for a super-sized double-door room in the White Palace costs about $50,000. There are more than 400 of them. Combined with the cost of installing 450 single-door rooms, the total cost of the doors for the Turkish presidential palace is more than $34 million. Photo: Anadolu Agency |
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| In addition, the cost of carpeting the entire palace also reached more than 9 million USD. Photo: Wikipedia |
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| When asked why he wanted a new palace, President Erdogan said the cockroaches in his old office, where he lived when he was Türkiye's prime minister, were unbearable. Photo: Anadolu Agency |
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| Despite the expensive investment, many people compare Mr. Erdogan's residence to a train station in China. Pictured is a conference room in the White Palace. Photo: Wikipedia |
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| The White Palace grounds are an ideal venue for parties. When construction began, Mr. Erdogan claimed to use only natural Turkish materials for the project. But, according to opponents, the architectural plans of the building show that the materials were all imported. The roof came from Germany, while the marble used in the living rooms originated in India. Some other materials were imported from England and France. Even the ornamental plants in the presidential palace grounds were brought in from Italy and the Netherlands. Photo: Tccb.gov |
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| The cost of building the palace is said to have exceeded the original estimate by twice, which has also caused it to receive much criticism. But Mr. Erdogan denied this, emphasizing that the palace will contribute to raising Türkiye's position on the international stage. Photo: Anadolu Agency |
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| Meeting room inside the White Palace. In addition to being the residence of President Erdogan, this building also serves as a strategic command and control center. Therefore, the presidential palace became the target of attacks by rebels during the coup that broke out on the evening of July 15 in Türkiye. Like the White House in the US, the White Palace also has a situation room and shelters capable of withstanding nuclear, chemical or biological attacks. Photo: Wikipedia See more: Two reasons why the Turkish coup failed |
According to VNE
