# Controversy over Diyanet spending and official travel

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/controversy-over-diyanet-spending-and-official-travel
> Updated: 2026-08-24T15:09:00.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

Controversy has emerged regarding the spending habits of Turkey’s Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet). Initial reports highlighted a five-day gathering for approximately 70 senior officials at a five-star hotel in Kızılcahamam, with total expenses estimated at roughly 10 million Turkish lira. This spending drew attention due to the Diyanet’s own religious guidance urging believers to avoid waste.

Following these reports, allegations surfaced in the BirGün newspaper regarding a luxury trip to Tokyo by Diyanet President Safi Arpaguş. The reports claimed the President traveled with a nine-person delegation, utilizing luxury vehicles and staying in five-star hotels with nightly rates exceeding 20,000 TL. 

The Diyanet has formally denied these characterizations, stating the trip was an official mission to attend the 10th General Assembly Meeting of the Tokyo Mosque Diyanet Foundation. The Presidency maintained that the visit included scheduled meetings with the Japanese Muslim Association and diplomatic contacts at the Turkish Embassy, dismissing the description of a ‘luxury tour’ as a misleading attempt to misrepresent official institutional arrangements.

## Claims

- Safi Arpaguş traveled to Japan to attend the 10th General Assembly Meeting of the Tokyo Mosque Diyanet Foundation. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The Presidency claims reports of a 'luxury Tokyo trip' misrepresent the nature and material reality of the official program. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Arpaguş addressed the congregation at the Tokyo Mosque and met with representatives of the Japanese Muslim Association. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Arpaguş traveled with a 9-person delegation and stayed in 5-star hotels with nightly rates starting at 20,000 TL. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The use of a vehicle belonging to the Tokyo Mosque Diyanet Foundation was a standard part of the official program. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-24: Diyanet denies allegations of luxury Tokyo trip by President Arpaguş

Turkey's Diyanet Presidency denied claims that President Safi Arpaguş's visit to Tokyo was a luxury trip, asserting it was an official mission to attend the Tokyo Mosque Diyanet Foundation assembly.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/diyanet-denies-allegations-of-luxury-tokyo-trip-by-president-arpagu

### 2026-07-31: Turkey's Diyanet spends near 1 million TL on luxury hotel meeting

Turkey's Diyanet spent about 1 million TL daily on a luxury hotel meeting in Kızılcahamam, while President Safi Arpaguş later emphasized Islamic values at a program in Gümüşhane.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkeys-diyanet-spends-near-1-million-tl-on-luxury-hotel-meeting

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Cite as: Controversy over Diyanet spending and official travel. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/controversy-over-diyanet-spending-and-official-travel