Turkey’s Deputy Interior Minister Mehmet Ersoy has attracted widespread criticism for wearing an expensive scarf while visiting the scene of a tragedy in the eastern province of Tunceli, where two Turkish soldiers died from hypothermia in poor weather conditions on Friday.
In a photo taken in a helicopter, Ersoy is seen with a blue Louis Vuitton scarf around his neck during his visit to the area. Social media users said the price tag of the scarf, which is made of pure cashmere, is TL 4,500 (around $800) and that it was inappropriate for the minister to wear such an expensive piece of clothing while visiting an area where soldiers froze to death.
However, the minister denied wearing an expensive scarf and said he did not even own a suit during his 32-year-long career in various state posts that cost as much as the reported value of the scarf.
“I have never had any interest in wearing luxury brands. I have a modest lifestyle,” the minister tweeted on Monday, adding that the price of the Louis Vuitton scarf was much less than claimed. However, he did not say how much he paid for it.