DThe rescue of every single person is celebrated. On the third day after the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria, rescue teams rescued survivors from the rubble. For example, five-year-old Serap Ela, who was dressed in only pajamas and was pulled out of the rubble by helpers in Hatay, Turkey.
Such stories are the focus of pro-government television channels. They are intended to illustrate that the state reacts quickly and takes care of its citizens. Such happy stories are becoming rarer. On the other hand, the mistakes and weaknesses in the state’s crisis management are becoming more visible, which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also acknowledged on Wednesday during his visit to the quake-hit provincial capital of Kahramanmaras. However, he added that everything is “normal” now. On Wednesday, the death toll in Turkey and Syria rose to more than 11,000.
A competition has started in Turkey about the authority to interpret the consequences of the devastating earthquake. Vice President Fuat Oktay, Erdogan’s deputy, said that 16,150 rescue teams with 60,000 helpers were on site in all affected provinces. The chairman of the largest opposition party, CHP, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, counters that Erdogan has failed in 20 years of rule to prepare Turkey for such a catastrophe. “If anyone is primarily responsible for this course of events, it’s Erdogan,” said Kilicdaroglu. He criticized the fact that in many places no state aid had arrived on the third day either.
Many have not yet received help
What the pro-government broadcasters ignore can be seen on government-critical channels such as Fox and Halk: Thousands of people who have been buried are clamoring for help, giving their name and address on their cell phones, but cannot be rescued because there are no rescue teams equipped with equipment or there are no crane operators , who want to help voluntarily, but are still stuck in Istanbul airport, although they are urgently needed. The hashtag #SESVAR (“We hear voices”) is shared millions of times on Twitter.
People share locations and beg for help. Without the necessary technical equipment, this is of no use. The situation is described as catastrophic, especially in the rural areas, where apparently no aid is still reaching.
The willingness to help is overwhelming across the country. The state civil protection authority AFAD tries to organize all aid services through its state channels, which leads to absurd developments. In Mugla, for example, the governor appointed by the interior minister put his logo on the aid convoy of the CHP-governed city administration to give the impression that the aid was coming from him. In the Kurdish province of Hakkari, the local governor has banned aid deliveries from the pro-Kurdish HDP, arguing that only AFAD is authorized to do so.
Rock musician starts aid campaign
Despite such restrictions, CHP-ruled cities continue to provide aid. The mayor of Ankara, Mansur Yavas, tweeted how a construction crew from the capital is repairing the destroyed runway at Hatay Airport. On Twitter, the administration of the Cankaya district in Ankara lists how many articulated lorries and trucks loaded with relief supplies it has dispatched. Already on Wednesday there were over 70, they arrived in seven cities with the Cankaya logo. Meanwhile, the Istanbul Fire Department put out the major fire in the port of Iskenderun. The city of Istanbul supplied equipment to Hatay to enable mobile telecommunications.
One of the most popular aid campaigns was launched by the Turkish rock musician Haluk Levent, who comes from Adana and whom many people trust. He drove to the hard-hit city of Hatay on Monday. His Ahbap initiative has raised many millions of euros. One of their focal points on Wednesday was the procurement of generators. The Turkish government is reacting increasingly thin-skinned to critical reporting. On Wednesday, she restricted the short message service Twitter to such an extent that most Turks could hardly use the social medium.
It is estimated that up to 23 million people have been affected by the severe earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Organizations from Germany are also taking part in the relief measures. Some addresses for monetary donations can be found here:
Here you can donate
The government is reacting increasingly thin-skinned to critical reporting. Özgün Emrek Koc was arrested in Istanbul on Wednesday for his critical comments. During the afternoon, the Turkish government restricted Twitter to the point that most Turks could no longer use it. A caricature had just been circulated on Twitter in which people trapped between concrete slabs were calling for help and for the state. Erdogan’s communications director, standing next to him, merely replied. “Silence! This is disinformation, we are here.”
Mustafa Yeneroglu, MP for the opposition Deva party in Parliament, was able to say: “Freedom of communication is always important, but the ability to use social media during this time is crucial. Interference with social media must be stopped immediately!” Before that, he had written: “An understanding of the state that is not based on people lies under the rubble.”