The earthquake has slipped into the countryside. President Recep Erdogan, in power for 20 years with five terms, aims to remain Turkey’s top scorer in the May 14 election. But the series of criticisms and the social bad mood that begins to spread threatens their plans.
Its image was in decline, mainly due to 85% inflation, one of the highest on the planet like Argentina’s.
In recent months, the president has tried to shore up his administration with various concessions: increases in the minimum wage (55%); improvements in state pay; and remuneration in the pension system.
Faced with this picture, the latest more generous polls have proved him right. While that could all have changed from now on when the earthquake, one of the worst in Turkish history, feeds the grievances of the victims in the interior of the country, where the disaster adds to their daily chain of pain.
The opposition takes advantage of the chaos, directly accusing the president of the cataclysm. “Let me put it very clearly. If there is a prime culprit, it is Erdogan. 20 years have passed without preparing the country for an earthquake,” said the leader of the main opposition party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the Social Democrat CHP.
It doesn’t just sound like a political tirade, but a comment that comes from the very heart of the matter. “Where is the state?”cried the suffering in Turkey yesterday, in a strong criticism of the leadership which claims to defend public affairs and ends up ruining the state apparatus in which it is embodied.
But for Erdogan another problem is added. The earthquake occurs in the Kurdish area, whose party is the second in Turkey. While Erdogan accuses him of covering up terrorist acts, the courts have frozen his assets and it is possible that he will be excluded from the elections. Then, perhaps their votes will go to the rest of the opposition, further complicating the president’s chances.
The electoral question worries Europe because many decisions by Ankara have repercussions on the entire Middle East. In January, Erdogan said the campaign would start in March. Few now doubt that the electoral struggle has already begun.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.