Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a banquet with live music for Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa El-Kazımi, drawing criticism from critical news websites and social media users.
“Everywhere is closed, everywhere is quarantined, but there’s a song and dance at the Palace,” the Tele1 website reported.
Erdogan held a ceremony with the Iraqi leader to sign new agreements and the dinner following this event was attended by dozens of people who were sitting at tables.
Turkey mandates lockdowns across the country on Sundays and announced it will impose another ban for outings before the New Year’s Eve. Citizens face relatively high penalties if they are caught outside or without masks on but at the palace party, invitees appeared not to be socially distancing.
Two days before the banquet, a debate erupted in the Turkish parliament where Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Engin Altay complained about poverty and hunger in Turkey. AKP deputy Sahin Tin responded that people could eat “dry bread” and that means there is no hunger.
Some Turkish social media users questioned why guests at the banquet were not socially distancing when the pandemic is currently not under control in Turkey.
Others also wondered whether the guests at Erdogan’s table could be seen drinking Turkey’s national alcoholic drink Raki. Turkish authorities recently banned the sale of alcohol in major cities at night and on weekends.
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