Özgür Özel, Turkey’s main opposition leader, says Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Dolmabahçe working office in İstanbul “last Saturday.”
Dolmabahçe is a historic palace complex on the Bosporus that hosts Erdoğan’s İstanbul office.
Özel made the claim during a rally of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the Bahçelievler district of İstanbul on Wednesday.
He said the visitor appeared in the presidential log as a businessman and that business ties were on the table.
“While Palestine is bleeding, they are doing business with Trump’s son through lobbying companies,” Özel said at Wednesday’s rally.
“On the Palestinian issue, Erdoğan pretends to criticize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but does not utter a word against the real patron of the matter, Trump,” he added.
Middle East Eye also reported that Trump’s eldest son secretly met with Erdoğan in İstanbul as Ankara sought a meeting between Erdoğan and Donald Trump.
The Turkish Presidency has not issued a readout that confirms such a Dolmabahçe meeting.
Donald Trump Jr. has not publicly confirmed a visit to İstanbul.