Turkish President Erdoğan’s men mock BBC reporter for palace gold tweet

ANKARA

Two top aides of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan slammed a BBC reporter on Twitter accompanying British Prime Minister Theresa May on a visit to Turkey, mocking her messages that said there was “a lot of gold” in the Turkish presidential complex.

Following the Twitter messages of Laura Kuenssberg with photographs such as “Another world leader fond of golden lifts” and “In Erdoğan’s Palace – there is a lot of gold,” presidential spokesman İbrahim Kalın wrote on Twitter: “String of lies about ‘gold’ (…) None of these is gold. Only reflects the low quality of your journalism.”

String of lies about 'gold' in Presidential Complex by @bbclaurak None of these is gold. Only reflects the low quality of your journalism.

— Ibrahim Kalin (@ikalin1) 28 Ocak 2017

Hasan Doğan, the chief of cabinet for Erdoğan joined Kalın with the message, “So, you think every shiny yellow thing you see is gold? Woow:)))”

So, you think every shiny yellow thing you see is gold? Woow :))) @bbclaurak pic.twitter.com/0diHU9js94

— Dr. Hasan Doğan حسن (@hasandogan) 28 Ocak 2017

Then Mustafa Varank, a chief presidential adviser, followed the two with a message showing a presidential guard with gold-colored stripes and a belt: “Hey Laura look (...) even guards are made of GOLD.”

Hey Laura look at Erdogan's Presidential Compound even guards are made of GOLD! @bbclaurak pic.twitter.com/8IuzVBTl35

— Mustafa Varank (@varank) 28 Ocak 2017

It appears that the reporter might have mistaken that brass appliances and accessories in the gargantuan building for gold.

There was no further tweet from the BBC reporter following the messages from the Turkish officials.