Turkey: President Erdogan and the authorities criticized after the earthquake
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the city center destroyed by Monday's earthquake in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey, Wednesday, February 8, 2023. AP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The earthquake, which took place on Monday February 6 in Turkey and Syria, could have political consequences for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
While the reaction of the Turkish authorities is criticized, the social network Twitter was cut for a few hours on Wednesday February 8.
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On Thursday, February 9, Twitter users in Turkey can log in again after a 12-hour hiatus.
The case immediately caused a stir in Turkey, because social networks allow users to obtain information and contact relatives after the earthquake, but also because they are the place where criticism of the government is expressed. by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“
We all know what they want to hide
,” the leader of the main opposition CHP party said of the Twitter cut.
The deadly earthquake could prolong in political tremors, as Turkey prepares for presidential and legislative elections on May 14, 2023.
Visiting the disaster areas, Recep Tayyip Erdogan had to recognize "
gaps
" in the authorities' response, while castigating "
dishonest criticism
".
Among the reproaches which the Turkish president will have difficulty in getting rid of, that
of "a policy of profit
" which - according to the opposition - prevented the country from preparing for an earthquake of this force.
► Find all our articles and reports on the earthquake by clicking here
A regrettable lack of political unity
According to Didier Billion, deputy director of IRIS and author, among other things, of
Turkey: an essential partner
, this disaster will not put an end to political quarrels, quite the contrary.
“
It's pitiful in reality because the scale of the disaster would require that there be at least temporary unity between all the Turkish political forces, obviously this is not quite the case.
I noted that yesterday the leader of Turkey's main opposition party, the Kemalist Republican People's Party, visited the site of the earthquake and himself, while calling for unity, nevertheless made some accusations about the slow arrival of the rescue teams
", explains Didier Billion.
“
It is unfortunately the answer of the shepherd to the shepherdess,
he continues.
There has been a very strong polarization in Turkey at the political level for a very long time already, but the electoral deadline, which is scheduled for May 14 next for the presidential and legislative elections, obviously exacerbates tensions, exacerbates disputes.
What is regrettable is that obviously, in a situation of absolute catastrophe, the political forces do not hesitate to revive the quarrels which are, in my opinion, quite sterile in this case.
»
► To read also: Earthquake in Turkey: in Adiyaman, devastated city, "we let people die before our eyes"
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Turkey
Earthquake
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Syria
Natural disasters