News analysis

How Turkey’s earthquake could bring down Erdogan’s re-election bid

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greeting a young quake victim at a hospital in Turkey's Istanbul city on Feb 13. PHOTO: AFP
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LONDON - The Turkish government has promised to launch a massive aid effort to support survivors from the country’s worst earthquake in almost a century.

But attention is shifting to the political ramifications of a disaster that has killed more than 35,000 people in Turkey, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan coming under heavy criticism for the alleged failure of his officials to enforce safety measures that could have reduced the heavy death toll.

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