Despite the fact that the heavy fog surrounding the earthquake that struck Turkey yesterday has not yet completely dissipated, the great destruction caused to property and life indicates that Turkey is experiencing one of the worst disasters it has ever known.
In the shadow of the previous deadly earthquakes that struck the country in 1999, 2011 and 2020 it could be expected that the Turkish authorities should have experience in the fight against this natural phenomenon.
But pictures from the field prove the opposite.
Against the background of the law that was enacted in 2011 and set supposedly high standards for construction, one could assume that the buildings that collapsed yesterday were those that were built before the legislation, but the destruction - especially in the Hatay district - proves the opposite.
So, for example, the new hospital built last year was completely destroyed.
Rescue of the injured in the earthquake that struck eastern Turkey in October 2011. Lessons not learned, photo: Reuters
No doubt - after the heavy fog clears, the public discourse will surely focus again on this ongoing failure.
Along with the failed construction, it seems that through the populist decisions it made - the Turkish government also bears considerable responsibility, and not just the forces of nature.
For example, the "construction amnesty" from 2018 which completely qualified all illegal construction done until then is a striking proof of the huge failure.
An omission whereby the Turkish government officially and deliberately turned a blind eye to the illegal construction or illegal activities such as adding floors without a permit.
Erdogan's conduct will be judged immediately
Against the background of the above, and considering that Turkey is counting down to the general elections, which are to be held on May 14, it can be determined that Erdogan's conduct during the earthquake will be judged by the people immediately.
Therefore, unlike the earthquakes that occurred in 2011 and this time in 2020, also due to the magnitude of the disaster, the President of Turkey chose to receive humanitarian aid from all the countries that offer it, including Israel.
In this way Erdogan hopes to minimize damages.
As the discourse now focuses more on saving lives, some citizens are already asking hard questions about the future, including how and where the disaster-stricken citizens will continue to live.
Precisely to deal with this type of terror scenario, since 1999 the Turkish governments have imposed "earthquake taxes" on Turkish citizens.
But during an earthquake that hit the city of Izmir in 2020, it became clear that the government had already spent all these funds in favor of building infrastructure throughout the country.
That is, the coffers are empty and no one knows how it will be possible to finance the consequences of this heavy disaster.
Erdogan.
Will postpone the elections?, Photo: AFP
The picture painted here is not ideal for Erdogan, to say the least.
Also considering the extent of the destruction in the ten largest cities in the southeast of the country, Erdogan has already exercised his constitutional right and declared a state of emergency for three months.
That is, the general elections will be held a few days after its end.
It is not yet known whether the president will choose to postpone the elections, but in light of the growing criticism against him, there is a significant chance that Erdogan will actually prefer to keep the ballot boxes away from the voters in order not to suffer a historic defeat.
Dr. Chai Eitan Cohen Yanrojak is an expert on Turkey at the Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University and the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security
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