Wall Street Journal Analysis of the Earthquake, Election and Opposition: A Test for Erdogan
After the earthquake disaster in Turkey, the activity continues with the official announcement of the election date within the week.
As international media organizations closely followed Turkey ahead of the May 14 elections, the Wall Street Journal, one of the leading media organizations in the US, assessed the events following the earthquake disaster and the electoral process.
In the story headlined “Earthquake aid comes from Erdogan’s rivals,” it was commented that “The collapse of vital services and the arrival of aid that works independently of the government is testing the president before the elections.”
A full analysis was published in the Wall Street Journal.
The article said: “The crisis in Turkey after the earthquake that took place last month created a strange situation for President Erdogan: his biggest rivals filled the gaps left by state intervention.” In Jared Malsin’s news, “Cities led by nongovernmental organizations, political parties, and opposition parties became proxy governments in most of the hardest-hit areas, distributing food and clothing, building medical centers, collecting garbage, putting out fires, and roads in areas where little government help came, they did,” he said.
The Wall Street Journal wrote that the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality took an active role in relief in the earthquake zone.
It was also pointed out that the firefighters, police, doctors and volunteers from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality under the leadership of Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was promoted as a presidential candidate by the Nation Alliance, are the most visible figures in Hatay. The Wall Street Journal reporter said: “The collapse of vital state services and the rise of independent government relief efforts have been a test for Erdogan, who has been trying to concentrate power at the center for years, before the elections that will take place. In May.” The news indicated that there are still no vital services such as water and electricity in the region, and that there are problems in the stock of food and hygiene materials.
Speaking to the newspaper, a woman named Melek Aydın said: “They forgot about us. They speak very well when it comes to asking for votes, but when we ask for help there is no one”. “It is not surprising that non-governmental organizations and local governments help after natural disasters. But the role of the opposition-controlled Istanbul city government in aid is a dilemma for Erdogan, who, during his 20 years in office, recreated the Turkish state and wanted a presidential system leaving local institutions behind.
WHAT DID ERDOGAN SAY?
After the earthquake, when the discussion about the government’s belated response to the crisis began, President Erdoğan made some statements. Erdogan said on February 10: “It is a fact that we have not been able to speed up the interventions at the speed we want.”
Erdogan, who went to Adiyaman on February 27, also made assessments on the issue here. In his statement here, Erdogan said: “We couldn’t do the job we wanted in the first days after the earthquake in Adiyaman. That’s why I want your blessings.”