Three months away from an election, Erdogan’s political future could hinge on how the public perceives his government’s response to a similarly devastating natural disaster
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to power 20 years ago riding a wave of public outrage toward the previous government’s handling of a deadly earthquake.
Today, Turkey’s economy is being hammered by skyrocketing inflation, and Erdogan has faced widespread criticism for his handling of the problem, which has left millions of poor and middle class people struggling to make ends meet. The devastation spreads across a wide swath of Turkey, affecting 10 provinces in the country’s southeast, and it has strained the ability of domestic and foreign crews to quickly execute rescue efforts. In the first few days after the quake, Turkish television and social media showed people waiting helplessly beside piles of debris in frigid conditions, or using their bare hands to claw through rubble.
Ecevit blamed the poor response after the 1999 quake that killed some 18,000 people on the vastness of the destruction. Similarly, Erdogan said the response to this week’s quake – which he described as the “strongest in the history of this geography” – has been hampered by winter weather and the destruction of a key airport, making it difficult to quickly reach people trapped in the rubble.
Right after the quake, Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency, giving him the power to “lavish public spending” in those areas, said Kinnear, who believes an Erdogan victory is still likely. In the face of crushing inflation, Erdogan has increased the minimum wage, pensions and civil-servant salaries. While these steps may have been popular with voters, others have earned him severe criticism.
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