CHP leader visits earthquake zone
HATAY
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu held President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan responsible for the results of a devastating earthquake, accusing the government of not being prepared despite being in power for more than 20 years.
“Erdoğan is responsible. This government has not prepared the country for an earthquake for 20 years. That’s why I never thought of talking with him. I never, ever see this issue above politics. His politics brought us to this situation,” Kılıçdaroğlu said in a video message posted on his social media account.
The CHP leader is visiting the quake zone with the party’s mayors of the region. Erdoğan is also scheduled to visit the area along with ministers.
Kılıçdaroğlu delivered his message from the southern province of Hatay which suffered massive destruction.
“I saw the state of our people on the spot. I refuse to look beyond politics and align with the government,” he said.
On the first day of the earthquake, Erdoğan had a phone conversation with leaders of some political parties, including Meral Akşener, the leader of the İYİ (Good) Party from the Nation Alliance, and evaluated the situation.
Kılıçdaroğlu said that there was a “political attitude” against the CHP municipalities, and criticized the earthquake organization of the government.
“Türkiye’s experience in this matter has not been sufficiently utilized. Cooperation with public institutions, municipalities and non-governmental organizations is important in these disasters. But there is a political attitude towards municipalities,” he stated.
“Many non-governmental organizations were also deactivated under pressure. Our soldiers weren’t involved enough either,” the CHP leader said.
There were only 3,500 soldiers on the field on Feb. 6, and the government was too late to dispatch the miners for search and rescue efforts, he said.
