The Turkish opposition has been criticizing Erdogan’s ruling party for calling on one of the founders of the AKP to postpone elections until 2024.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the deadly February 6 earthquakes now stands at more than 41,200, of which 35,400 were evacuated from Turkey’s devastated provinces. Enceladus destroyed thousands of buildings, leaving millions homeless, most of whom now live in tents in the bitter cold.

More than 8,000 people have been pulled alive from the rubble by rescue teams so far, according to the Turkish president.

Against the backdrop of incalculable destruction, criticism against him is growing. slow and incomplete response government of Turkey. On Tuesday evening, Erdogan announced, speaking live on state television, a series of measures for the victims of the earthquake, which include, among other things, construction of “high quality safe buildings” within 12 monthsto cover housing needs in the provinces hit by the earthquake.

Erdogan promised that his government would pay £100,000 (about $5,300) to families of those killed in the earthquake to meet their immediate needs. At the same time, he attempted to respond to criticism and accused the official opposition of having a “wretched” political stance.

Tweet questionable

The reason for the reaction of the opposition was a tweet by a former high-ranking member of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP). Bullet Arinjs.

Monday Mr. Ahrendts called for postponing Turkey’s elections beyond the deadline set by the constitution (until June), saying that voting could not be organized after the disaster. The election was expected to take place on May 14, but no official date has been set.

Kamuoyuna toyaila dukurulur. pic.twitter.com/PoiEQSWNCH

— Bulent Arinc (@bulent_arinc) February 13, 2023

“Have the fear of God in you. There are still corpses in the ruins. How can you talk about elections when there are no voters?” wrote about Ahrendtsfounding member and former high-ranking AKP official who criticized Erdogan from time to time.

OUR Ahrendts he opposed holding presidential and parliamentary elections in 2024, which are also scheduled for local government elections in Turkey.

According to the international media, it has not been established whether Ahrendts’s proposal enjoys the support of the AKP and whether it was an attempt to influence public opinion.. SEP representatives did not immediately respond to calls for comment.

Turkish opposition leaders disagree

“Erdogan sees that he will lose these elections and is looking for excuses not to take place. They have already lost their support before and the earthquake was a heavy blow,” said Ali Oztunch, an opposition MP representing Kahramanmaras, one of the districts most affected by the earthquakes.

Election stakes

Erdogan rose to the post of prime minister in 2003 and became president in 2014. As the Washington Post notes, during his tenure, “he changed the Turkish state, weakening institutions and expanding his own power. The Turkish authorities imprisoned opposition politicians, journalists and leading civil society figures. The elections could prove decisive in Turkey’s ability to consolidate its democracy.”

OUR Kemal Kilicdaroglupotential presidential candidate and leader of the country’s largest opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), demanded that the elections be held on time.

“The constitution is clear. Elections can only be postponed in times of war. Since we are not at war, the elections cannot be rescheduled,” he said. “The government is trying to avoid elections. The election date should be set as early as possible, either May 14 or June 18,” he concluded.

Mayor of Adana, which belongs to CHP takes the same position: “Our great Turkish state should be able to pave the way for elections four months after the earthquake,” he said.

Another major opposition party, the right-wing party Iyialso called for the timely holding of elections.

Interrogation of Erdogan

Even before the deadly earthquakes, Erdogan faced the biggest “wave” of political challenges in the history of his political career: record inflation levels and the collapse of the Turkish lira have led members of Erdogan’s conservative political base to rebel against him in recent years, although he has regained some of the lost support at the expense of expenses and his role in international diplomacy in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Washington Post notes.

Turkey’s president is now facing renewed criticism in the aftermath of the earthquakes. Even Erdogan himself admitted that the response to the earthquakes was slower than he wanted.

Last week, he declared a three-month state of emergency in the earthquake-affected areas, allowing the government to act by decree until elections are held.

Source: Washington Post.