February 17, 2023, 14:59 – BLiTZ – News
A number of seismologists in Turkey have recently predicted a devastating earthquake in Istanbul. Scientists note that the ancient city is located at the junction of the Anatolian and Eurasian tectonic plates, 15-20 kilometers south of that section of the North Anatolian fault that runs under the Sea of Marmara. When the disaster occurs, experts add, Turkey’s human and financial losses will be even greater than during the recent earthquake in the country’s southeast.
The correspondent of the BLiTZ turned to political scientist Sergei Markov to find out what the political consequences of the natural disaster might be.
“This is going to be, for a second, a truly historic election that could change the course of the country.”
“The earthquake that happened in Turkey has already become a major political factor that will determine the results of the parliamentary and presidential elections to be held in May,” the expert said. “And this will be, for a second, a truly historic election that can change the course of the country.”
The interlocutor of the DOS suggests that, according to their results, Recep Tayyip Erdogan may not only be removed from power, but also imprisoned, “because his opponents hate him with fierce hatred.”
“Erdogan, who encouraged this corruption, is personally responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people”
“The opposition’s main platform now is to accuse Erdogan’s officials of giving permission for bribes to build buildings from low-quality materials that formed like a house of cards in the first seconds of the earthquake,” Markov said. “Continuing their logic, Erdogan, who encouraged this corruption, is personally responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people.”
The main thesis of the current president of Turkey, according to the political scientist, is that only he alone in the current conditions can competently organize rescue operations, as well as build new buildings to replace the destroyed ones.
“If the catastrophe repeats itself in Istanbul, its influence on political events in the country will increase manifold”
“If the catastrophe repeats in Istanbul, its influence on political events in the country will increase many times over,” the expert added. – Almost 20% of the population of the whole country lives in the city! But the whole nuance is that no one knows exactly when an earthquake will happen – next week or in 10 years. In any case, it is unlikely to happen before the presidential election.”
At the same time, the DOS interlocutor continued, the Turkish opposition is actively using the upcoming almost inevitable catastrophe as if it will happen tomorrow, and Erdogan will definitely show himself badly.
“In particular, his rivals claim that houses in Istanbul are built in exactly the same way as in the destroyed cities,” Markov noted. “And what, they say, when an earthquake happens, the number of victims will go into the millions, and the blame for their deaths allegedly already lies with Erdogan.”
Earlier, the News wrote that the number of victims of earthquakes in Turkey has risen to 38 thousand people. This is stated in the message of the Office for the Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (AFAD).
