Erdogan criticized for throwing toys to earthquake victims

Publish:
A+ A-
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has faced criticism for throwing boxes of toys to earthquake victims in Hatay province. The move has been described as a publicity stunt that does nothing to address the urgent needs of people affected by the disaster

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has come under fire yet again after he threw boxes of toys from his bus in the earthquake-stricken Hatay province where still hundreds of thousands people live in dire conditions without access to basic needs.

Social media users and politicians alike have heavily criticized the move, calling it a publicity stunt that does nothing to address the urgent needs of the people affected by the disaster.

Ali Mahir Basarir, a member of the Turkish parliament from the Republican People's Party, took to Twitter to express his outrage. "Erdogan is throwing toys from his bus, accompanied by his security detail, to the earthquake victims in Hatay, where we lost thousands of our citizens. This disgraceful behavior is getting worse every day! It's truly mind-boggling!" he wrote.

Erdogan also distributed cash to children in the earthquake-ravaged city of Adiyaman, which also drew backlash from the public.

In 2020, he was seen throwing cups of tea in Giresun, which had been hit by severe flooding that killed eight people. In 2021, he threw cups of tea to people affected by flooding in Rize's Gueneyasu district, following a political rally.

The earthquake that hit 11 cities in Turkey has left many people homeless, and the government's response to the crisis has been heavily criticized.