Hmm, wonder if our Little Tovarich, playing such a good Islamist Turk, will be invited to stay over at this luxurious palace.
In Turkey, lavish new presidential palace proves divisive
By GLEN JOHNSON, PATRICK J. MCDONNELL contact the reporter
Supporters view Turkey's grand new White Palace as symbol of nation's power
Turkey's $615-million-and-growing presidential palace sparks outrage in divided nation
From the hilltop mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic, a panoramic sweep of this modern capital shows skyscrapers, five-star hotels, bustling residential districts and, to the west, an extravagant new official residence for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The controversial White Palace is a lavish Ottoman-themed compound that many view as a symbol of Erdogan's polarizing and authoritarian leadership style — and his efforts to appropriate and reshape Ataturk's far-reaching legacy.
Gouged into about 50 acres of former public parkland and constructed in defiance of court orders, the 1,000-room palace, replete with marble floors and soaring atriums, has already cost $615 million, double its initial price tag. An additional $135 million in outlays is slated for next year. Yet to come are a conference center and public mosque.
Continue reading at:
In Turkey lavish new presidential palace proves divisive - LA Times
In Turkey, lavish new presidential palace proves divisive
By GLEN JOHNSON, PATRICK J. MCDONNELL contact the reporter
Supporters view Turkey's grand new White Palace as symbol of nation's power
Turkey's $615-million-and-growing presidential palace sparks outrage in divided nation
From the hilltop mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic, a panoramic sweep of this modern capital shows skyscrapers, five-star hotels, bustling residential districts and, to the west, an extravagant new official residence for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The controversial White Palace is a lavish Ottoman-themed compound that many view as a symbol of Erdogan's polarizing and authoritarian leadership style — and his efforts to appropriate and reshape Ataturk's far-reaching legacy.
Gouged into about 50 acres of former public parkland and constructed in defiance of court orders, the 1,000-room palace, replete with marble floors and soaring atriums, has already cost $615 million, double its initial price tag. An additional $135 million in outlays is slated for next year. Yet to come are a conference center and public mosque.
Continue reading at:
In Turkey lavish new presidential palace proves divisive - LA Times