Turkey Earthquake Disaster management in Turkey
As Turkey starts to reckon with a death toll approaching 36,000, there are many narratives about its deadliest earthquake. President Erdogan admitted the shortcomings and claimed that “it is not possible to be ready for such a disaster” (Iskenderun, 2023). The article shows different issues related to the occurrence.
Many critics say that the centralization of power by the longest-serving and highly autocratic leader is to blame. Erdogan is blamed for hollowing out and weakening critical institutions. One of the critics stated it was a one-person rule, and the president did not want them to speak out. They state that President Erdogan’s leadership is poor, and he wants them to die without complaining. Furthermore, the search and rescue team could only save some of the individuals they could save due to AFAD’s coordination problems. He has also rolled back much of the military’s substantial independence over the years, especially after the coup attempt in 2016 (Iskenderun, 2023). In a disaster, the government must use the army, which is the strongest and biggest muscle.
President Erdogan appointed loyalists who needed more credentials in key positions besides removing civil society organizations(Iskenderun, 2023). The appointed leaders were slow, inflexible, and unskilled to respond quickly to the disaster.
Inadequate infrastructure in Turkey is another critical issue brought out in this article. More than 61,000 houses, including hospitals, were destroyed during the earthquake. Furthermore, the government did not enforce its building codes and leased “zoning amnesties” to those who owned present substandard structures. The best way to curb earthquake deaths in Turkey is to build resistant houses.
References
Iskenderun, A. T. L. /. (2023, February 18). How Erdoğan’s Obsession With Power Got in the Way of Turkey’s Earthquake Response. Time. https://time.com/6256540/erdogan-turkey-earthquake-response/
Iskenderun, A. T. L. /. (2023, February 18). How Erdoğan’s Obsession With Power Got in the Way of Turkey’s Earthquake Response. Time. https://time.com/6256540/erdogan-turkey-earthquake-response/
