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.
