Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Faces Criticism in Wake of Devastating Earthquake

As Turkey marked the anniversary of a devastating earthquake that hit the country in 1999, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised measures to protect the people from future natural disasters. However, the country's worst natural disaster in nearly a century has already claimed over 19,000 lives and the Turkish president now stands accused of failing to follow through on his promise.

Erdogan is facing criticism that his government was too slow in providing aid to the affected areas and that Turkey was ill-prepared for the disaster. This comes at a time when the president is facing his toughest re-election campaign yet.

Erdogan, who rose to power in the early 2000s, has a long history of political activism and conservative politics. He founded the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in 2001, which won a landslide victory in 2002 due to voters' disappointment with the incumbent government's handling of the previous earthquake.

Throughout his time in office, Erdogan has transformed the country's infrastructure and made significant changes to the national landscape. However, the AK Party's loose tender rules and preferential treatment of friends in exchange for political favors have come under scrutiny. In recent years, Erdogan's authoritarian rule and crackdown on civil liberties have further eroded the country's institutions.

The devastating earthquake has exposed the consequences of the hollowing out of Turkey's institutions and has sparked anger and frustration among the Turkish people, including some members of the AK Party. Critics say that the president's response has been slow and disorganized, and that he has frequently attacked political opponents and media who have criticized him.

Some political observers believe that the earthquake, which hit some of the country's poorest and most conservative provinces, may reduce support for Erdogan among his usual supporters. The terrible death toll and the government's failure to protect the country has led to questions about why other countries like Japan and Chile do not experience similar tragedies.

Despite Erdogan's reputation for powerful rhetoric and getting things done, this disaster may prove to be beyond his control. The quake may have far-reaching consequences for the Turkish president and his re-election campaign.