For the past six months, Turkey has been talking about the official car of the head of the Religious Affairs Directorate. It is the first time that the institution, traditionally held in high esteem for representing spiritual virtues, has become embroiled in a controversy over worldly luxuries.

It all started in December, when the popular daily Hurriyet reported that the directorate had bought a top model Mercedes S500, worth 1 million Turkish lira ($376,000), for its head, Mehmet Gormez. The report sparked strong reactions and a prolonged debate, discouraging Gormez from using his new car. Finally, in a televised interview with Haberturk on May 5, he announced he would return the vehicle.

“Something [ordinary for] any institution in Ankara has been exaggerated and made into a spin operation to discredit an institution and its head,” he said. “The moment I realized this, that car became a grave for me. I didn’t use it even once. That’s not possible for me. This turban cannot tolerate any blemish, not even a spot. This post is not just another post. I’ll return the car to set an example for all to see.”

Gormez did return the vehicle. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, however, was unhappy that the head of the Religious Affairs Directorate (RAD) had backed down in the face of criticism. Speaking to reporters on a flight back from Bosnia-Herzegovina on May 21, he said, “I’ll allocate a Mercedes from the presidential office to our RAD head. Moreover, it will be an armored one.”