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Earthquakes in Turkey: President Erdogan recognizes "gaps" in disaster management

2023-02-08T17:08:52.157Z


The response of the Turkish authorities to the earthquake which struck the country is strongly criticized by the population. At the same time,


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday acknowledged "shortcomings" in the response to the earthquake that struck his country and Syria.

"Of course, there are shortcomings, it is impossible to be prepared for such a disaster," said the head of state who visited the province of Hatay (south), the one of the most affected, on the Syrian border.

More than 9,000 dead bodies have since Monday been cleared from the rubble in Turkey, and 2,662 in Syria.

“A few dishonest and dishonest people published false statements such that

we did not see any soldiers or police

 ” in Hatay province, Erdogan denounced.

“Our soldiers and our police are honorable people.

We're not going to let disreputable people talk about them that way,” he said.

The Turkish president claimed that 21,000 relief personnel had been deployed in Hatay province alone.

"By doing so, we will respond to the disaster in such a way that no one is left under the ruins and no one suffers," he promised less than four months before the presidential election.

Read alsoTurkey: after the earthquake, priorities in shambles and a race against “the first 72 hours”

In the rubble of buildings in a dozen towns in southern and southeastern Turkey devastated by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, survivors awaiting aid and relief have strongly criticized the Turkish government and especially Erdogan, head of state since 2003, saying he was “abandoned” in the cold.

Twitter inaccessible in the country

Shortly before these announcements, and against a backdrop of increasing online criticism of the government, Twitter became inaccessible on the main Turkish mobile phone providers on Wednesday.

AFP journalists were unable to access this social network in Turkey.

Internet governance watchdog netblocks.org pointed out that access to Twitter was restricted "through several internet service providers in Turkey".

"Turkey has a long history of restrictions with social media during national emergencies and security incidents," the body added.

Turkish police have arrested more than a dozen people since Monday's earthquake for social media posts criticizing the Turkish president's government's handling of the disaster.

Turkish social media is flooded with messages from people complaining about a lack of rescue efforts and searches for victims in their areas, especially in Hatay.

Turkish officials made no immediate statement about the service disruption.

But they had repeatedly warned against spreading disinformation ahead of the crucial May 14 elections, in which Erdogan is seeking a new term after 20 years in power.

Rescuers still manage to find survivors in the rubble on Wednesday, even if the chances of survival are dwindling, two days after the terrible earthquake whose toll continues to grow and now exceeds 11,700 dead in Turkey and Syria .

Source: leparis

All news articles on 2023-02-08

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