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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government have become the target of the wrath of earthquake victims in Turkey for the slow response. Photo/REUTERS
ANKARA – The victims Turkey earthquake and the opposition was outraged by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s and his government’s slow response to the disaster. Apart from being slow, they consider that government assistance is inadequate.
Anger grew louder when Erdogan, who faces a tightly contested election in three months’ time, visited the affected area for the first time and acknowledged some problems with the initial response.
Monday’s quake has killed more than 15,000 people across southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria. The 7.8 magnitude quake damaged infrastructure and leveled thousands of buildings, causing hardship to millions of people and leaving many homeless in the freezing cold.
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“Where is the country? Where have they been for two days? We begged them. Let’s do it, we can get them (the victims buried under the rubble) out,” said Sabiha Alinak, near the snow-covered collapsed building where her young relative was trapped in the city Malatya, as quoted by Reuters, Thursday (9/2/2023).
From the start, victims have complained of a lack of equipment and support as they waited for help beside the rubble. They lack the skills or tools needed to rescue other trapped victims—occasionally they can hear cries for help.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition party, earlier this week said the disaster was a time for unity, not criticism.
However, on Wednesday, he accused Erdogan’s government of failing to cooperate with local authorities and of weakening non-governmental organizations that could help.
“I refuse to see what happens above politics and ally with the ruling party. This collapse is precisely the result of systematic profiteering politics,” he said.
“If anyone is responsible for this process, it is Erdogan. It is this ruling party that has not prepared the country for earthquakes for 20 years.”
Rescue workers have struggled to reach some of the worst-hit areas, held back by destroyed roads, bad weather and a lack of resources and equipment, while some areas were without fuel or electricity.
