The world press analyzed the earthquake disaster in Turkey
While the number of people who lost their lives in the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria is increasing by the day, news from the international media continues to pour in.
The Financial Times, one of England’s respected newspapers, wrote that the government declared war on construction companies and contractors after the earthquake disaster and many buildings collapsed and became graves for people. The newspaper said: “While the number of people who lost their lives in the earthquake rose to 33,000, Erdogan targets construction companies. Erdogan is trying to respond to criticism of poor control of building regulations, ”he said.
In the Financial Times report, the expression “President Erdogan is trying to respond to criticism like this” was used.
The article commented: “The investigation against the contractors is a breakthrough that shows how President Erdogan of Turkey responded to the backlash against the lack of control of building regulations.” “The disaster struck three months before the election, which proved to be one of the toughest choices Erdogan will face during his 20 years in office,” the report said.
It was also stated that the security situation in the region is delicate and fragile, and it was recalled that the German search and rescue teams stopped their work due to shooting and the risk of looting.
The New York Times, a major US daily, also claimed that the “zoning amnesty” caused the earthquake disaster. The newspaper said: “Earthquake victims and construction experts say poorly constructed buildings add to the impact of earthquake destruction. President Erdoğan praised his party’s zoning amnesty law in his 2019 election campaign.
The New York Times shared the news it prepared from the region.
Regarding the zoning amnesty, the New York Times reported: “This move was risky in Turkey, which is above the fault line and where an earthquake is likely. But voters showed interest in it. In Hatay, Kahramanmaraş and Malatya, Erdoğan said that this amnesty solved the problems of more than 438,000 homeowners. After last week’s devastating earthquakes, those areas are covered in rubble from buildings, which are graves for those who live in them.”
The British news agency Reuters shared the photo of Amar, a one and a half year old Syrian boy, who lives in Turkey with his family.
In the newspaper news, it was noted that many officials approved the approval of the demolished buildings and that “the construction sector was the driving force behind Erdogan’s economic development policy. During his 20-year presidency and prime minister, he built many roads, bridges, shopping centers and houses. Many construction companies in the country have affinities with him or with the AKP”.
THE TIMES: AFAD IS EMPTY
The British newspaper The Times also published an extensive report after the earthquake that shook Turkey. In the news from Hannah Lucinda Smith and Richard Spencer, “Hope is fading after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake and the aftershocks that followed. The true scope of the quake continues to emerge. According to official data, the number of people who lost their lives in Turkey and Syria exceeded 33,000, while the United Nations announced that this figure may exceed 50,000.
AFAD was also mentioned in the article… In the news, “Turkey’s disaster relief agency, AFAD, was rarely seen in the places most affected by the earthquake. Independent civilian search and rescue teams arrived in the area and did the work with their own hands and materials from miners and construction workers in the region.
The Times, which opened a separate paragraph on AFAD, said: “AFAD used to be affiliated with the prime minister’s office, but it passed under Erdogan’s administration with the presidential system. As in other state institutions, senior officials with experience were fired and relatives of ministers were brought in. İsmail Palakoğlu, the head of AFAD, was appointed from Diyanet.”
While it was noted that there is still some miraculous news, “It has been 7 days and miraculous news is still coming, but those who lost their lives are usually removed. Yesterday, IHH teams arrived in Antakya with TV cameras with the possibility that 5 people might be alive, but they left the area after it was confirmed that all of them lost their lives.