The Republic of Türkiye will never leave the victims of February’s catastrophic earthquakes alone or "abandon them to cowardice," President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared Wednesday as he conveyed his “heartfelt gratitude” to survivors who “showed their preference through democracy and went to vote” on May 14.
“Your willpower that manifested in election results is more than welcome,” Erdoğan wrote on Twitter amid recent accusations and unhinged hatred from his opposition toward voters in the disaster zone as Türkiye nears its first presidential runoff on May 28.
Erdoğan garnered massive support in presidential polls across a majority of the earthquake-stricken provinces, receiving landslide wins in worst-hit cities like Kahramanmaraş, Malatya and Şanlıurfa.
His ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) also won dozens of parliamentary seats for lawmakers running from the said region, helping their People’s Alliance secure a parliamentary majority with 323 seats over the main opposition bloc’s 212.
“Our duty is to indiscriminately serve you with passion and we have done so for the past 21 years,” Erdoğan recalled. “We strongly reject the craze of hatred and resentment from certain circles against our people wounded by the disaster just because they didn’t have the outcome they expected.”
“Worry not, fear not, and keep your hearts open. You continue protecting your cities and embracing life with four hands, we will be with you,” he stressed. “We will never leave you alone and we will never leave you in need.”
He assured that the government and the people were working “hand in hand to rapidly heal wounds” and informed that over 910,000 tents and 117,000 containers had been set up in quake-hit provinces so far.
Over 13,000 businesses have resumed activities and construction has begun for 175,000 independent units, Erdoğan added.
“We have opened for service the Defne State Hospital within 57 days despite opposition’s harping on about it,” he said, referring to the 300-bed facility he inaugurated in Hatay last Sunday.
“Hopefully, we will begin settling you in your new homes by October-November,” Erdoğan said, reiterating his government’s promise to erect a total of 650,000 residences for earthquake victims, with 319,000 units slated to be completed within 2023.
Earthquake recovery has been the main theme of Erdoğan’s election campaign since over 52,000 people were killed across 11 provinces leveled by Feb. 6 tremors.
He has honed his pledges on rehabilitating the region as part of the "Century of Türkiye" vision he unveiled last year to celebrate the second century of Türkiye’s being a republic. He has repeatedly assured more housing and infrastructure would be built for the affected cities.
At an energetic rally in the capital Ankara on Wednesday, he reiterated his promises, declaring, “From economy to fighting inflation, education to the defense industry, we will continue empowering Türkiye.”
He also lambasted his main challenger Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and joint contender of the six-party opposition bloc, for doling out “promises of free homes” at rallies in the disaster region and immediately “turning his back on the victims after being defeated in May 14’s polls.”
Hours following the presidential election when it became clear Erdoğan was taking a clear lead over Kılıçdaroğlu, several social media users insulted voters supporting Erdoğan and the AK Party in earthquake-hit cities, branding them as “ungrateful” for the humanitarian aid poured into the zone by the CHP-run municipalities and supporters of the opposition.
Angered by the reaction, some earthquake survivors even wired money to Kılıçdaroğlu, “paying back” the aid. As a result, nine out of 11 provinces hit by the deadly disaster voted for the AK Party, while Kılıçdaroğlu was ahead in Diyarbakır and Hatay provinces.
Denouncing the opposition’s “politics of fear and slander," Erdoğan vowed to maintain stability in Türkiye, saying: “We have never allowed a power struggle between the judiciary, executive, and legislative to drag Türkiye into instability. We will not allow it after May 28, either.”
