The dust of the earthquake has barely subsided, rescue efforts are underway and the country is in mourning. Pointing has already begun. Because who is responsible for all these destroyed buildings? How is it possible for relief measures to start so slowly in so many places?
The answers could have a major impact on the political future of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. With the elections in May, the Turks are watching closely how he and his coalition responded to the disaster.
1999
Erdogan has raised the bar himself. He narrowly became the mayor of Istanbul after the 1999 earthquake, in which more than 17,000 people lost their lives. Nienke van Heukelingen, a Turkey expert at the Clingendael Institute, says he later sharply criticized the Turkish government.
“The prime minister at that time always said that everything was under control and help was on the way. But this was not the case. There was no national emergency plan and disaster relief. Erdogan said, ‘If you choose me, I will come, I will fix it’.
And on the commemoration day of the 1999 earthquake in 2020, he posted the following message on Twitter. The tweet reads “Not earthquakes, carelessness kills”.
After 1999, an emergency plan, an emergency service and new building codes were introduced in Turkey. Steps in the right direction were also taken under Erdogan, who has been in power since 2003 as prime minister and later as president.
“He came to power after the 1999 earthquake, criticizing the actions of the government,” says Van Heukelingen. “Now it is that government.”
Despite all the improvements and stricter building regulations, thousands of buildings collapsed during the earthquakes. İhsan Bal, a Turkish lecturer who studies earthquake-resistant buildings at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen, says the deadliest are probably buildings built before 1999. “The biggest problem is pre-1999 buildings.”
“There was a construction boom in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, there are many multi-storey reinforced concrete buildings in Turkey that are very prone to earthquakes. And the majority of the population lives there.”
Earthquake can be very deadly due to the construction of many buildings:
But: Many new residential complexes have not been able to withstand the tremors either. “We’ve certainly seen buildings demolished that only existed for a few years,” says Van Heukelingen. “How can this be when these building codes have been tightened so much in recent years?”
Erdogan himself admitted on Friday that despite the crisis plan and the existence of a disaster service, the start of authorities’ aid has been slow. It took longer than the government would have liked for emergency services to act, as “many buildings were damaged.”
Flexible foundation
It is noteworthy that the emergency services were apparently poorly prepared. The region is generally known to be earthquake prone. “Scientists knew that one day there would be a big earthquake,” says researcher Bal.
Researcher Bal says making all buildings earthquake-proof is expensive but doable. For example, through flexible foundations. “After such severe earthquakes, they want important buildings to remain operational. Houses may be damaged, but there will be no loss of life.”
Thus, the government seems to have failed despite Erdogan’s promise in 1999. Van Heukelingen: “’You promised to get better, didn’t you? Even though days have passed since the disaster, why can’t we still see help in our village?’”
Critics point to Erdogan’s warm bond with the construction industry, which likes to build cheaply and a lot. The country has rapidly urbanized in recent years. However, according to Van Heukelingen, the crime may also lie elsewhere, for example in corrupt superiors.
Twitter block
In any case, he says, “the criticism is pushing Erdogan and his coalition into a corner.” “We are already seeing a focus on people criticizing the government’s actions.” On Wednesday, the Turkish government blocked access to Twitter, presumably to silence criticism.
Therefore, the consequences of the earthquake could have significant consequences on Erdogan’s chances in the election. The Turkish opposition leader had already pointed his arrows at the president on Thursday. For 20 years, the country has not prepared for such an earthquake,” he said.
“We have to be careful about talking about the political ramifications right away,” says Van Heukelingen. Because it is still unclear what the public thinks about the government’s actions. In times of disaster, the people often support their leaders. “Everything is political in Turkey, but the focus is rightfully still saving people from the rubble.”
Source: NOS
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
