Reactions to the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes
The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government was accused of manipulating the death toll of the earthquakes to mask the scale of the disaster amid growing criticism due to what many say was a delayed and ineffective response to the tragedy.
[7] The comparison of historical satellite images with those taken after the earthquake, especially of those showing the destruction in the newly built area of western Kahramanmaraş, were used to dispute Erdoğan's claim.
[8] In Adıyaman, the minister of transport and infrastructure, Adil Karaismailoğlu, and governor, Mahmut Çuhadar, were met with protests by locals.
[10] Critics of President Erdoğan said contractors of housing projects were allowed to skip vital safety mandates which put residents at risk.
During a campaign stop in anticipation of the March 2019 local elections, he listed, among his government's top attainment, new housing in Kahramanmaras.
Erdoğan said "We solved the problem of 144,156 citizens of Maras with zoning amnesty," In another video, he said "We have solved the problems of 205,000 citizens of Hatay with zoning peace,"[11] Before the 2018 general election, 3.1 million buildings were granted amnesty certificates, according to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Secretary General Assistant and city planner, Bugra Gokce.
In the ten affected provinces, 294,165 certificates were granted; 59,247 in Adana; 10,629 in Adıyaman; 14,719 in Diyarbakır; 40,224 in Gaziantep; 56,464 in Hatay; 39,58 in Kahramanmaraş; 4,897 in Kilis; 22,299 in Malatya; 21,107 in Osmaniye; and 25,521 in Şanlıurfa.
[12] After a destructive earthquake struck İzmir in 2020, Asia Times said the Turkish government generated US$2 billion in profit since the latest zoning amnesty law was approved in May 2018.
[13] The leader of the opposition in Parliament, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of the Republican People's Party (CHP), pinned responsibility for the scale of the disaster on President Erdoğan.
[14] He demanded from the CHP mayors not to back down from providing bread and blankets to people in need and reject bureaucratic blocking as they did during the COVID-19 lockdown.
[15] It has also been reported that some donations from relief organizations arriving at the Adana airport were relabeled as assistance by the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) or also the governing AKP.
İsmail Palakoğlu [tr], the general manager of disaster response subdivision of AFAD and a theologian who previously worked at the Directorate of Religious Affairs, was criticized by several politicians and media outlets.
[29][30] A week after the earthquakes in Samandağ, a coastal town in Hatay Province, residents dug through the rubble to look for victims because of the slow and limited government response.
[31] NetBlocks announced that ICTA limited access to Twitter from Turkey, with Turkish government officials claiming disinformation.
The CPJ's statement said that Turkey officials should revoke both the fine and penalties along with refraining from silencing the media for its earthquake coverage.
[35][36] On 7 February, Turkish police said they detained four people over "provocative posts aiming to create fear and panic" on social media following the earthquake.
[42][43][44] Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch alleged that Turkish security forces tortured and ill-treated individuals arrested on suspicion of looting.
[57][58] On 3 January 2024, the first trials opened in Turkey relating to the earthquake, with a court in Adiyaman trying 11 individuals accused of "conscious negligence" while overseeing the construction of the collapsed Isias Hotel.
[60] Attorneys representing victims' families said contractors tried may be handled a less severe sentence as evidence and collapsed rubble were cleared in the aftermath.
[62] The director for Human Rights Watch in Turkey voiced concerns that many public officials have not gone for trial, while only individuals from private sector have.
