The earthquake catastrophe is also likely to have political consequences in Turkey. Because many blame the Erdogan government for the damage and high number of victims. That might cost him his power.
“NZZ Akzent”: Is the earthquake costing Erdogan his power?
Author
Sebastian Panholzer, Antonia Moser
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In this podcast episode:
A lot is at stake for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Elections are scheduled to take place in Turkey on May 14, and Erdogan is standing for re-election. But so far, his poll numbers have only been moderate. People are dissatisfied, also because of the bad economic situation. And then on February 6th the earth shook. Tens of thousands of people lost their lives.
The criticism of Erdogan was not long in coming, says Southeast Europe correspondent Volker Pabst in the podcast. The opposition accuses the president and his government of turning a blind eye to building regulations. It is also unclear where the billions from the earthquake tax went.
Erdogan now wants to make a name for himself as a disaster manager. He appears in the media in the earthquake area and has more than a hundred people arrested who are said to be complicit in the damage. But whether that’s enough is an open question, says Volker Pabst. There is already speculation as to whether the election will take place at all.
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