Ankara: Amid the rising death toll in Turkey following a series of devastating earthquakes, the Turkish leadership now faces the wrath of helpless and angry citizens in the most affected areas as they run out of basic amenities such as food, shelter, water and electricity. Looking for According to reports coming in from Turkey, there is growing anger among the residents and most of them are opposing the visit of high-profile leaders including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan, who has declared a three-month state of emergency to speed up search and rescue efforts in quake-hit provinces, has been driven away by angry residents in Adıyaman province – worst hit by the quake – where he said: “Don’t come to ask for votes.”
Locals were complaining that rescuers did not arrive in time to evacuate survivors in the first critical hours. Some pointed to a lack of machinery to drill through the concrete slab. Mehmet Yildirim, a resident of Adıyaman, said, “I didn’t see anyone until 2 pm on the second day after the earthquake.” “No government, no state, no police, no soldiers. Shame on you! You left us to fend for ourselves.”
Erdogan acknowledged “shortcomings” in the earthquake response on Wednesday. He stressed that the weather conditions have magnified the magnitude of the destruction caused by the earthquake. Erdogan made the remarks during his visit to the epicenter of Monday’s earthquake.
CNN quoted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying, “Of course, there are loopholes. The conditions are clear. It is not possible to be prepared for such a disaster. We will not neglect any of our citizens.”
Erdogan said, ‘No doubt about it, our task is not easy.’ He said 6,444 buildings collapsed due to two earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 that hit the country on Monday. “We have mobilized all our resources. The state is working with the municipalities, especially the AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency),” Anadolu Agency quoted Erdogan as saying.
The death toll in the deadly Turkey-Siri earthquake has risen to at least 21,051, CNN reported on Friday, citing officials.
At least 17,674 people have been killed and 72,879 injured in Turkey, according to Vice President Fuat Oktay on Thursday. In contrast, according to the White Helmets civilian rescue organization, at least 3,377 people were killed in Syria, including 2,030 rebels. 1,347 in controlled territory and government-controlled areas in the northwest, according to reports by Syrian state media.
According to news reports, the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in Kahramanmaras province, were felt by 13 million people in 10 provinces, including Adana, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Sanliurfa.
Turkey’s neighboring countries, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the tremors.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that 75 countries and 16 international organizations have pledged aid to Turkey after the earthquake struck the country, CNN reported. He said 6,479 rescuers from 56 countries are on the ground. He said teams from 19 countries would reach the US within 24 hours.
“Teams from 19 more countries will be in our country within 24 hours,” Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by CNN. Global aid is pouring in for Turkey after Monday’s disaster, which has so far claimed more than 20,000 lives and injured more than 70,000 in the country and neighboring Syria.
India is assisting Turkey in the ongoing rescue efforts due to the crisis triggered by the earthquake tremors in the country. To assist those affected by the recent earthquakes in the country, the Indian Army has dispatched disaster relief teams and set up a field hospital.