£384 Million Mansion: Turkey's President Moves Into World's Biggest Palace

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, The Turkey’s new president has been accused of behaving like a “sultan” after he moved into the biggest residential palace in the world, built for a price tag of £384 million. The White Palace, was allegedly constructed in breach of court orders in protected forest land in the capital, Ankara. The Telegraph UK reports that it boasts of 1,000 rooms covering a total floor area of 3.1 million square feet, the palace is four times the size of Versailles, allowing Mr Erdogan to exceed the residential grandeur of Louis XIV, the “Sun King” of France.

Inside the palace, a majestic hallway leads up to a sweeping staircase. The quixotic architectural style seems to cross the Ottoman and Seljuk traditions with that of a modern Chinese railway station. The bathrooms have silk wallpaper and the whole edifice is surrounded by a forested park. Hundreds of trees were felled to make way for the president’s new home.

Mr Erdogan, who designed much of the White Palace himself, has also taken the precaution of installing an underground bunker. Reports says that he has also spent £115 million on a new presidential jet, designed and supplied by Airbus to his own specification.

Critics of Mr Erdogan, who won the presidency in August, denounced the project as a folie de grandeur. “The so-called sultan has built this for himself in a country where three million people are without work,” said Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the opposition Republican People’s party. “You cut down hundreds of trees to build yourself this palace.”

Mr Erdogan served as prime minister for 11 years before ascending to the presidency says his ambition is to turn this traditionally ceremonial post into the new centre of power in Turkey.  As for critics of his new palace, Mr Erdogan said: “No one can prevent the completion of this building. If they are powerful enough, let them come and demolish it.”