Earthquake in Turkey shakes an Erdogan in his election campaign

In front of the President, all the microphones of all MPs televisions from the country. Erdogan will make a speech, as he does every day for the last few days. disaster area. “We are doing what is necessary for our citizens, and we will continue to do so. go hungry, They are not left in the open, they do not feel neglected and helpless,” said Erdoğan with his unique style and rhythm. For any Turk, his manner of speaking is beyond doubt.

“But we’re totally intolerant chaos merchants especially those who provoke our nation false or false news on social media,” Erdogan continues. serkanWhoever watched the conversation live on his phone exploded. “See? That can’t be! There are still thousands of people under the rubble and he’s just talking about it,” he tells his friend, who sits next to him and watches the conversation.

“Unbelievable, I don’t understand. They failed to recover, they reacted too late, rescuers have been getting a small budget for a while… See? I read it in the newspaper the other day. And Erdogan only talks about it. the country’s enemiesthose who criticize him. It’s incredible,” says Serkan’s friend. Both young boys AdanaThe province, which is one of the provinces affected by the earthquake that took place in southeast Turkey and northwest of Syria last Monday morning, has already caused the death of 2 people. 25,000 people.

Although Adana is not the most damaged district, hundreds of dead: the city is large, it has about two million inhabitants, and the collapsed buildings there are in some cases more than 10 stories high. Very few people have survived them. Many died: Since this Saturday, more than six days since the earthquake, rescue missions have become more of a shambles. body search In the rubble rather than in a race against time to save lives.

“I believe,” says Serkan, “that they will use it. state of emergency To postpone the elections this week. They will do something. I am sure”.

in the spring

In principle, if nothing changes, presidential election planned in Turkey next 14 may; but rumors are already circulating Ankaracapital where the date is too close, which is impossible, too early: potentially 13 million internally displaced – residents of the ten affected provinces – the country cannot hold presidential elections, which are expected to be both historic and difficult.

Erdogan, who has been in power since 2003, according to most polls. serious chance of losing It faces a resurgent opposition since its 2019 election victory in the Istanbul and Ankara mayors. The earthquake, the deaths, everything that has happened since then changes everything.

“After the recent 1999 earthquake Istanbul and claimed the lives of 17,000—Turkey learned many lessons: new building codes, regulations, town planning, evacuation plans… But in time all this was forgotten,” American media ‘Vox’ assures, Sinan Seriouslecturer Georgetown UniversityHe continues: “When Erdogan’s party AKP comes to power, the temptation to give everything is building permit Whatever the codes and standards for companies to build prevailed. Now we’re seeing the effects of that, especially in the southeast, because we see the government claiming that the buildings that were destroyed are all old, but that’s not true.”

a media war

meanwhile in mediaThe war has begun: those loyal to the president – the vast majority – are focused on showing the truth. rescue work and the miracles that happen in them. Once, a few days ago, a young man started yelling at a man. state television reporter How could it be that it was terrible, no one went to their house, no help or rescue, and his family was still buried below days later, abandoned under the rubble from his old house

The journalist continued to talk about something else while being yelled at. And then in the middle of the connection the signal was lost, the image was gone, news program continued.

He started playing an ad on public radio. Among the sad violins, a man says: “We wish you all the best. Turkish nation Quick recovery. Such a disaster, such an earthquake, harms everyone equally. there is no nation in the world I can survive such an earthquake without loss of life, without experiencing the suffering we Turks suffer. But our nation is strong, resilient. Turkey will rise”.

A Turkish proverb sums it up perfectly. Turks use it for everything and now – a variant of it – is used by the pro-government media: ‘Geography is destiny’. geography is destiny.