Turkish taxpayers had to foot a 251 million Turkish lira bill for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s protective detail in January, marking a staggering increase of 151 percent compared to the same month last year, which was recorded at 100 million lira.
The substantial bill corresponds to the combined monthly minimum wages for nearly 15,000 workers in Turkey, where many families are struggling to make ends meet amid worsening economic conditions.
Some of Erdogan’s ever-expanding team of bodyguards, notorious for beating civilians during the president’s visits at home and abroad, have faced criminal charges in the past for their conduct in foreign countries. They have even been the subject of arrest warrants in the US while enjoying complete impunity in Turkey, where the rule of law has been suspended and fundamental rights and freedoms severely restricted.
To secure the full and continuous allegiance of his bodyguards, Erdogan ensures that they live comfortably and receive more financial compensation than others.
The exact number of members of Erdogan’s protective detail is unknown, and the government has not been forthcoming with the figures when asked by parliament, which decides on funding government expenditures, including the salaries of Erdogan’s bodyguards. However, it is estimated to be in the hundreds, if not the thousands. By one extreme, unconfirmed account, he has some 5,000 people in his protective detail.