The People’s Democratic Party (HDP) shared a video on social media on Monday, painting a picture of all that has happened in Turkey in the month since the 6 February earthquakes that affected 13.5 million people in the country.
“#1ay [#1month] has passed, we have not been able to count those we have lost, we have not been able to find burial robes for those who have died. We will allow neither denial of the suffering, nor fascist delirium. But you will be held to account,” the party posted as it shared the video.
The twin earthquakes rocked 10 provinces in southern Turkey, claiming the lives of 45,968 people at the last count. In the last month, 13,072 aftershocks have shaken the region.
In the last month, the Turkish authorities have carried out inspections in 1,728,000 buildings. The inspections revealed that 227,027 buildings have been seriously damaged and should be demolished immediately.
Around 1.5 million people are staying in 332 tent cities that have been set up in the earthquake-stricken region so far, according to official figures.
In the last month some 3.3 million earthquake survivors left their homes and moved to other cities, while around 800,000 people moved to nearby villages.
Finding shelter, clean water and basic supplies is still a problem for earthquake survivors still living in the affected provinces.
The HDP’s video also highlights peak moments from the past month revealing the incompetence of the government and state agencies in disaster relief, and their harsh responses to critics, including:
The delayed and inadequate efforts of the the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
The attacks by Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and ally of Turkish President Erdoğan, against the charity efforts of the Ahbap initiative and YouTube channel BaBaLaTV.
The throttling of Twitter in the early days of the disaster, which caused disruption of the public’s efforts at humanitarian aid.
Cities and towns cleared of rubble for Erdoğan’s visits.
The Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu saying that the authorities had been prepared for an earthquake in İstanbul instead.
The absence of disaster relief work in the early days of the earthquakes and Erdoğan’s admission of this.
The scandal that broke out after it was discovered that the Turkish Red Crescent had sold its tent stocks on the third day after the earthquake.
The government attempting to block the HDP’s efforts to reach out to earthquake victims.
Protests against the government.