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Updated: Jul 03, 2019 08:40 IST

Turkey’s First Lady Emine Erdogan recently attracted criticism after she was spotted carrying a handbag that priced USD 50,000, during her trip to Japan with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Photos of Emine’s arrival at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo with Recep Erdogan caught the attention of social media, and the users were quick to point out that the handbag the first lady wore cost around USD 50,000.

The price tag amounts to over a year’s salary for 11 people on minimum wage in a country that has been trying to recover from a currency crisis, reported Ahval news.

The Erdogans in the past have come under criticism for their lavish lifestyle, which critics claim, contradicts their seemingly humble and pious discourse.

“While the citizens struggle with price hikes, the Palace does not step back from luxury,” Cumhuriyet newspaper remarked in reference to the 1,150-room presidential complex built under Erdogan’s rule.

Turkey’s economy is still recovering from the currency crisis that peaked in August, last year. According to local media reports, the country’s unemployment rate has spiked to close to its highest levels on record.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)