The powerful earthquakes on February 6 killed more than 50,000 people. In Turkey, millions of people are homeless because of the disaster. The damage is enormous in eleven provinces. However, there was a high turnout for the presidential and parliamentary elections in the region. In most provinces there, between 85 and 89 percent of eligible voters participated. The national average is just under 89 percent.
Kurdish voters in the region have strongly supported Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, Erdogan’s main rival in the presidential election. Still, the incumbent president was generally victorious, without rallying a national majority behind him.
Critics of the regime and earthquake survivors had expressed anger at the slow response of the Erdogan government. They also pointed to the lax enforcement of building regulations, which they say has cost lives.
Although there were also dozens of people that Reuters spoke to shortly after the earthquake who expressed their gratitude for the help of the government and security forces.
“Those who survived the earthquake criticized the government and said not to vote for the incumbent president,” political analyst Mehmet Ali Kulat told Reuters. “But those people also want an answer to the question ‘Who will rebuild my house?’, he says. “They see in Erdogan someone who can do that. It is one of the most important factors.”