Erdogan’s $615m Palace!

Local Editor

Take a peek into Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's $615-million presidential palace located on the outskirts of the capital Ankara.

No expense was spared in the building of the 1,150-room "White Palace" which covers an area of 300,000 square meters of an environmentally protected nature preserve called the Ataturk Forest Farm.

It was initially built to serve as the offices of the Turkish prime minister, but after Erdogan emerged victorious from the 2014 presidential elections he announced that the building would be used as the Turkey's presidential palace.

Erdogan says the building -- which cost twice more than what was originally estimated -- boosts Turkey's international profile. Critics say it would have made Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, who was known for his extravagant tastes, blush.

Similar to the White House, it includes a situation room and bunkers capable of withstanding biological, chemical and nuclear attacks.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team