Turkish Foreign Ministry denies reports claiming minister's son received need-based scholarship

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu chairs a meeting of Turkish ambassadors to the Middle Eastern countries on July 11, 2013 in Ankara. AFP PHOTO/ADEM ALTAN

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs swiftly denied July 11 allegations that Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu’s son has been receiving a need-based full scholarship from the Turkish Education Association (TED) for his education at the association’s high school.

The ministry’s denial was released in the morning hours upon similar news reports published by two daily newspapers, Sözcü and Taraf.

Davutoğlu’s son is allegedly receiving a 100 percent scholarship, while he does not meet the criteria for being in need of financial support or studying in fifth to ninth grade, since his father’s monthly income is 20,000 liras and the son is in the 12th grade, daily Sözcü wrote July 11.

The ministry’s statement refuted all claims, saying Davutoğlu had paid all the expenses for the past four years and has never demanded nor received any scholarship.