Demirtaş holds Erdoğan responsible for quake destruction

Duvar English

Jailed former People's Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş has penned an opinion piece for Gazete Duvar from the Edirne Prison, in which he holds President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan responsible for the quake destruction.

In the piece, Demirtaş said Erdoğan has failed to take any single action to unite the country in the aftermath of the devastating quakes, but rather tried to polarize the opposition even more. 

Demirtaş also said Erdoğan’s response to quakes has not “managed to rescue thousands of our citizens alive from under the rubble.”

“Since Erdoğan gathered all the powers in his hands, wouldn't he have to do all that needs to be done? Because in this system, no one takes action without receiving instructions from Erdoğan. Now, who should we hold, rather than Erdoğan responsible? Since he is the only man, all responsibility rests with Erdoğan. He has to give the biggest account to the public,” he added.

Turkey's southeastern region was struck by two major earthquakes on Feb. 6, one at the magnitude of 7.7 and the other 7.6.

As of Feb. 14, the death toll from devastating earthquakes rose to 31,974, according to official figures. The number of demolished buildings has been yet recorded as 6,444.

Below is the complete translation of Demirtaş’s piece:

IS ERDOĞAN RIGHT?

President Erdoğan is a leader known for not welcoming criticism throughout his political life.

Although he is naturally the first person to be criticized in the face of the great disaster, he still appears before the cameras in his toughest and most angry form.

So, is Erdoğan justified in his anger? Is he being criticized despite fulfilling all his responsibilities? Are these criticisms made only out of opposition to Erdoğan?

Let's look for answers together.

Although the imminent danger posed by the East Anatolian fault line has been indicated by scientific reports for years, have the buildings in the settlements on the fault line been made earthquake resistant?

No, on the contrary, all unlicensed, illegal buildings have been made legal with zoning amnesties. Earthquake resistance conditions were not sought even in a single building, including state buildings. 

Were plans such as earthquake assistance, transportation, communication, coordination and evacuation made in a healthy way in the settlements in the earthquake zone?

We are sadly watching that it is not.

Since these were not done before the earthquake, the destruction was enormous. So what should be done after the earthquake? Let's look at it in detail.

Was Erdoğan awakened within the five minutes after the earthquake?

I do not think so.

Has the first report on the quake been submitted to him within half an hour after the quake at the latest?

I do not think so.

Did he realize the enormity of the disaster at the first moment?

I do not think so.

Did he give a first level alarm order to the Turkish military in the 35th minute?

We know he didn't.

For example, did he want the chairs of all political parties, professional chambers, labor and employer unions to be urgently awakened and connected to the AFAD Coordination Center at the 40th minute while leaving the palace and heading towards the AFAD headquarters?

We know he didn’t want to.

Did he want all provincial and district mayors outside the disaster region to be woken up immediately and organize them to be ready to go with all their crews and equipment?

We know he didn’t want to.

Let's say we are in the 45th minute and Erdoğan is still on his way to AFAD headquarters.

Did he instruct all our embassies and representatives abroad to ask for help from the states with an emergency code?

We know he didn't.

Did he instruct the Energy Minister to ensure that the employees of all public and private mining companies are ready to go?

We know he didn't.

Did he instruct the Transport Minister to make all aircraft, helicopters, ships, trains, trucks, cranes, tow trucks, buses and the like ready for service in the earthquake zone?

We know he didn't.

Did he order the communication network to be repaired quickly?

We know he didn't.

Did he instruct the Interior Minister to work in partnership with other ministries to keep all roads leading to the earthquake provinces open to traffic, to repair the damage on the roads quickly, to prepare enough security units to be sent to the quake-stricken provinces quickly to ensure security?

We know he didn't.

Let's assume that we are now in the 55th minute after the quake and Erdoğan has gone to AFAD headquarters. The first damage reports have arrived. All the ministers started to come to the center one by one.

Has he asked the Health Minister to mobilize all facilities for the transportation of hospital, personnel, medicine, sick and injured?

We know he didn't.

First responders and rescue teams in the earthquake area must have reached the rubble. All civil and official rescue teams in other cities must have set out in correct coordination with the 10 hit by the earthquake. Did Erdoğan receive confirmation of these from the AFAD chair?

We know he didn't.

Did he deliver the most inclusive, most embracing nationwide address calling for solidarity, encouraging and warning?

We know he didn't.

Let's say 70 minutes have passed in the meantime. While most of the citizens in the 71 provinces that did not feel the earthquake were still asleep, the state took action with all its might and is in a state of alarm.

When our citizens outside the earthquake zone woke up, they could see the great disaster and tens of thousands of public officials who work in the rescue efforts, did they see it?

Sadly, no we didn’t.

If Erdoğan's approach had been as I described in this scenario, then the spirit of solidarity, unity and cooperation would have been much greater and we would have managed to rescue thousands of our citizens alive from under the rubble.

A head of state who loves his people would do all this and much more.

Well, Erdoğan didn't do these things, what did he do?

He called the mayors of his own party one by one, but did not speak to a single opposition municipality, including the four metropolitan municipalities that could work most effectively in such a devastating earthquake.

He appeared before the public only in the middle of the day and made one of the most angry speeches of his life, blaming, dividing, insulting and threatening the opposition.

He promised 10,000 liras and a new house to the earthquake victims.

He restricted social media.

He declared a state of emergency.

He evacuated students from dormitories and closed the universities.

He only called a few opposition leaders by phone, never communicated with other leaders.

He blocked civilian, voluntary aid.

He called people dishonest, degenerate…

Now tell me, for God's sake, is Erdoğan right to be angry with criticism of him?

Since Erdoğan gathered all the powers in his hands, wouldn't he have to do all that needs to be done? Because in this system, no one takes action without receiving instructions from Erdoğan.

Now, who should we hold, rather than hold Erdoğan responsible?

Since he is the only man, all responsibility rests with Erdoğan. He has to give the biggest account to the public.

And this will happen sooner or later.

(English version by Alperen Şen)