President Tayyip Erdogan indicated on Wednesday that elections will be conducted on May 14, reiterating his previous plan for the vote with a date just over three months after a devastating earthquake in Turkey claimed the lives of more than 45,000 people.
“This nation will do what is necessary on May 14, God willing,” Erdogan said in a speech to members of his ruling AK Party in parliament, ostensibly about upcoming elections seen as his greatest political challenge to date.
Since the earthquake last month, there have been conflicting signals regarding the likely timing of the presidential and parliamentary elections, with some indicating that they could be postponed in the year or conducted on June 18 as planned.
Before the disaster, Erdogan’s popularity had been eroded in recent years by soaring inflation and a fall in the lira. Which hurt living standards, although some opinion polls in recent months had shown indications of a rebound in his support.
Ankara’s response on Wednesday
Erdogan has encountered a wave of criticism for his administration’s handling of the nation’s deadliest earthquake in modern times. However, he defended Ankara’s response on Wednesday, stating that it had been trapped in “an earthquake storm.”
“In place of the collapsed structures, we will construct better ones.” We will gain hearts and unveil a new future for our people,” he said in a speech accompanied by a video highlighting all the state had done in response to the disaster.
Erdogan, who seeks to extend his reign into a third decade, had previously stated that he was moving the elections to May to avoid the June holidays.
Election officials’ ability to organise 14 million earthquake zone citizens’ voting has been questioned. This week, election officials will examine the region to compile a report on its readiness.
“Second ideas”
At the time, the coalition was accused of neglecting the devastating earthquake of 1999.
Now he must also contend with criticism of his earthquake response in a region that has traditionally supported him. In the 2018 presidential election, he received 55% of the vote in the ten earthquake-affected provinces, and his party and its allies received the same percentage of votes in the parliamentary election.
Some Turks in one of the areas worst hit by the quake voiced disappointment on Wednesday at the state response to the disaster, which they said hurt people’s views of the government.
“Everyone in this area instinctively ballots for the AKP. But assistance arrived late.
“I don’t think the opposition is up to the challenge either. But we need fundamental reform,” said Mehmet, a 70-year-old farmer from the village of Igdeli.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reported earlier today that the death toll in Turkey had risen to 45,089, bringing the total death toll including Syria to approximately 51,000. In Turkey, 108,000 individuals were injured by the earthquake.
Ankara confronts a formidable challenge in repairing the extensive damage caused by the earthquake and subsequent strong tremors. Which forced millions of people to seek refuge in tents or relocate to other cities.
Erdogan has pledged to rebuild homes within a year. But it will be many months before thousands of people can exchange tents, containers, and food lines for permanent accommodation.
He said on Wednesday that the earthquakes destroyed or badly damaged over two hundred thousand structures. Approximately two million people were reported to have evacuated the region. Which has been struck by over 11,000 aftershocks, according to AFAD.
