Turkey's Erdogan plans to expand controversial palace by adding 250-room residenceAnkara, 13 November 2014 (MIA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is planning to expand his already controversial new presidential palace with a 250-room residency building, Ankara's top architect was quoted as saying Thursday.
Tezcan Karakus Candan, chairman of the Turkish Chamber of Architects in Ankara, said the organisation had information that an additional residency complex was to be built adjacent to the palace.
"The complex does not only consist of an unlicensed palace," Turkish media quoted her as saying.
"The residence where the president will live is set to be around 7,000 square meters, according to our calculations."
"It is about 4,000 square meters in surface. If each room is 20 meters, then it means he is building himself a residence with 250 rooms."
Known officially as the Presidential Palace but dubbed universally as the Aksaray (White Palace), the complex has 1,000 rooms and draws its architectural inspiration from Turkey's Ottoman and Seljuk heritage.
Erdogan, who became president in August after over a decade as prime minister, has insisted that the new palace is needed as a symbol worthy of what he describes as the "new Turkey", a fast-growing and diplomatically powerful nation.
The first foreign guest in the palace is set to be Pope Francis when he visits Ankara at the start of his three-day visit to Turkey on November 28.
|