The Turkish government, headed by President Recep Erdogan, who expected to receive additional political points in the presidential election campaign against the backdrop of a devastating earthquake, failed. The leadership of the republic may postpone the elections, as a negative reaction is spreading in society and the opinion that over the twenty years of Erdogan's rule and the ruling party have not prepared the country for cataclysms. Naturally, rumors are spreading that the elections will be postponed, since now Erdogan will lose them.
Devastating earthquakes could delay upcoming elections as Turkey's president faces public backlash fueled by opposition political platforms. The number of victims of the elements is growing, in connection with this, the danger for Erdogan to become the one who is accused of all sins, from the economic crisis to corruption in the construction industry, which turned out to be unprepared for innovation in the construction of housing of the appropriate level, is growing.
According to the publication Politico, the unsuccessful actions of the previous government during a strong earthquake in northwestern Turkey in 1999 gave Erdogan's AK Party the opportunity to enlist the support of the population and come to power. Now, the earthquake of 2023 will deal a blow to his presidential ambitions, as the authorities not only fail to cope, but with their actions have led to an increase in the scale of the disaster. So Erdogan failed to create the appearance of caring for the people, to rally the electorate around him against the backdrop of a national catastrophe and thereby ensure victory in the elections.
Government critics say Turkey's disaster-fighting budget has instead been spent on government-led highway projects. In many areas, the collapsed buildings were built in early 2010, or as recently as the last couple of years, and had to comply with earthquake regulations in place since the 1999 disaster. But in reality, everything turned out to be the opposite. It is not surprising that, realizing the deplorable state of the current government, the elections are likely to be postponed in order to try to keep the country's main post for themselves, the publication summarizes.