Expediting Erdogan’s political end: Turkish opposition criticizes regime’s corona handling

Mouaz Mohamed

In light of the rapid outbreak of the corona virus in Turkey, where there have been 61,000 cases of infection and 1,300 deaths, according to official data issued by the Ministry of Health on Monday, April 13, 2020, the opposition has accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of lacking a clear way to deal with the crisis threatening the country.

The opposition’s anger increased after the Turkish Interior Ministry’s decision on Thursday evening, April 10, to impose a curfew in 31 states from Friday night until April 12, especially as it came as a surprise and without warning, meaning citizens were unable to obtain their basic needs to suffice the curfew period.

The decision caused chaos, panic and quarrels in the streets as citizens accumulated in front of shops and bakeries, which could have exacerbated the spread of the corona virus.

Criticism

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who belongs to the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), criticized the curfew decision, noting in a video posted on Twitter that the decision should not have been taken so suddenly and that he was not made aware even in his official capacity as a mayor.

In the same context, CHP spokesman Faik Öztrak said that all the efforts of the health workers to keep people from leaving their homes have been in vain, asking: “Who is responsible for this fatal mistake?”

“They manipulate the health of the people on the one hand and mock their intellects on the other hand,” he added.

Bad management

The Turkish president has been accused of mismanaging the corona crisis, especially in light of the increasing number of infections and deaths as a result of the pandemic. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu’s submission of his resignation, which was rejected by Erdogan, has been described as an attempt to save the president from this dilemma.

Although Ankara needs the curfew to limit the spread of the virus, Erdogan’s government is being accused of poor planning regarding its implementation.

International political affairs researcher Jamal Raef believes that the huge crowds reported by the media threaten a disaster, given the inability of the Erdogan regime to control the situation to limit the spread of the virus.

Raef told France 24 that Erdogan has put economic considerations at the top of his priorities since the crisis first started, pointing out that the health and safety of the Turkish citizens came as a last concern. He stressed that the president’s late decisions have come in vain, adding that his failure to manage the crisis will write his political end.