What impact does the earthquake in Turkey have on Erdogan’s political future?

What impact does the earthquake in Turkey have on Erdogan’s political future?

Just three months before his biggest political milestone, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Turkey and Syria, claiming over 22,000 lives. The people of Turkey will go to the polls on May 24th to vote in the presidential and parliamentary elections. Pre-earthquake polls indicated a tough competition for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been in power as the head of the Turkish government since 2003. Prior to the early morning hours of Monday and before this catastrophic event, Mr. Erdogan was already dealing with numerous crises. His unconventional approach to the economy has led to skyrocketing inflation, with prices increasing by up to 85% in the past year. At the same time, his government is facing accusations of corruption, mismanagement, and inefficiency in dealing with natural disasters such as forest fires in 2021. It seems that Erdogan has come to the battlefield with an understanding of these challenges. Just hours after the earthquake, he took control of the situation during a press conference in Ankara.