In Istanbul, Surprise That Trump Towers Complex Is Linked to Trump
(in case any of us were wondering about der drumpfenfuhrer's praise of erdogan)
In Istanbul, Surprise That Trump Towers Complex Is Linked to Trump
Trump Towers Istanbul, among the tallest buildings in one of the world’s largest Muslim cities, last year. Many of the people there on a recent evening were unaware that it was connected to President Trump. Credit Monique Jaques for The New York Times
ISTANBUL — The mall was named for him. His name adorns signposts at the nearby metro station. It also looms from the sides of the twin skyscrapers that the mall sits beneath. Yet many of the diners, shoppers and store owners here at Trump Towers Istanbul on a recent evening could not quite believe that the complex — among the tallest buildings in one of the world’s largest predominantly Muslim cities — had anything to do with President Trump.
Evin Sumeli, a 19-year-old training to be an anesthetist, was sitting down for a meal with her sister, Mizgin, 18, when she learned that Mr. Trump does indeed profit from the buildings. “O.K. — we’re leaving!” she declared. One floor below, Cigdem Turan, a cashier at a cosmetics store, was similarly surprised. “I actually asked people if he had anything to do with the building, but they said no,” said Ms. Turan, 25, who began working at Trump Towers early last fall. “My husband said it’s probably just a coincidence.”
A coincidence, however, it is not. Technically, neither Mr. Trump nor the Trump Organization owns the property (or most of the other buildings featuring the Trump name outside the United States). But in 2010, Mr. Trump allowed the building’s Turkish owners, Dogan Holding, to brand it with his name, in exchange for a sizable fee. The total has not been disclosed, but campaign records show that by July 2015, Dogan Holding had paid Mr. Trump between $1 million and $5 million for the use of his name.
It was the revelation of that deal that had the Sumeli sisters making for a premature exit. “Why should I respect a president who doesn’t respect my veil?” asked the younger Ms. Sumeli, who is studying child development. “We won’t be coming here again,” her elder sister added.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/08/world/middleeast/in-istanbul-surprise-that-trump-towers-complex-is-linked-to-trump.html
Link to tweet
