Turkey: Top cleric returns official car 'to set example'

ANKARA 

Turkey's head of religious affairs Mehmet Gormez has said he will return the official luxurious car which was allegedly bought for his use.

In an interview with private TV channel Haberturk in Ankara, Gormez said Monday night: “We will return it to set an example.”

Last December, a Turkish daily reported that the Presidency of Religious Affairs had bought a Mercedes worth a million Turkish liras, or approximately $368,500.

The report created a controversy and questions were raised whether the head of Presidency of Religious Affairs should be given such an expensive car. The Presidency of Religious Affairs had denied the report and said that the car had been bought using money from the Turkish Diyanet Foundation's budget, which came under the religious affairs.

“This car is a grave for me and I do not want to enter a grave,” Gormez said, adding that he had not used the car, "not even for a single day."