Kilicdaroglu: Government failed to coordinate the disaster

In an interview with the Turkish newspaper Sozcu, CHP (Republican People’s Party) Chair Kemal Kilicdaroglu said that the earthquake survivors received no help in the first days after the massive earthquake that hit Turkey because of the government's inadequate efforts. Kilicdaroglu said people cried out loudly: "Where is the state?"

"The earthquake has become a problem that has befallen the nation as a disaster. There are serious problems with relief efforts,” Kilicdaroglu said.

He added:

“We have become a country that cannot produce or find tents. We used to see Red Crescent tents everywhere after an earthquake. The Red Crescent has collapsed, AFAD has collapsed. There are qualified and experienced people at AFAD, but not at the top. Political appointments have been made, and therefore AFAD is no longer an institution that predicts risks and conducts tests after disasters. They have rotted the bureaucracy and made it non-functional."

Kilicdaroglu also said the government could not mobilize the army out of fear.

"When such big events happen in many countries of the world, it is their army that acts first. Because the army has fortress battalions. It is clear what they will do in case of emergency. The soldiers have been trained accordingly. There are also miners. We have asked our miners to be sent as soon as possible to the provinces where the earthquake took place. That is their job anyway,” he said.

Kilicdaroglu also addressed the issue of postponing the elections.

the constitution is clear: "Only the parliament can decide to postpone the elections, even in case of war', there is no war. We are now living in the 21st century, postponing the elections is incompatible with reason. Erdogan says, "Give me one more year." He has given himself 20 years in this country. Now, after 20 years, the state of the country is obvious"