Turkey‘s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy was seen vacationing on a luxury yacht and even in Greece, a fact that is causing outrage in Turkey.
Photos published by a news website show Ersoy on a superyacht anchored in the marina of Zeus.
The yacht, reportedly owned by the tourism company, has a jacuzzi, swimming pool and powerful engines that can reach speeds of up to 34 knots. It reportedly even costs up to 120,000 euros a week if one wishes to rent it.
The minister confirmed he was on the yacht to give an interview to columnist Ahmed Hakan (he is on the right in the photo, the minister on the left), but critics say the trip looks more like a holiday than a business obligation.
Esroy’s vacation is causing outrage, reports Turkish Minute, “at a time when the Turkish tourism sector is in dire straits.”
Even members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have expressed their discomfort. “With a war on our borders, the ongoing massacre in Gaza and a struggling tourism industry, not to mention the high cost of living, it is deeply disturbing to see photos of ministers vacationing on luxury yachts on Greek islands,” wrote a veteran AKP official.
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