Mahmut Çuhadar resigned from his post as the governor of Turkey’s southeastern Adıyaman (Semsûr) province on Friday, citing health reasons.
The governor had recently come under fire for the insufficient response to the 7.8 and 7.6 magnitude twin earthquakes that devastated the province alongside nine others in Turkey and several towns in northern Syria.
In one incident, Çuhadar was caught on camera smiling in the face of citizens protesting the lack of rescue operations and disaster relief.
“I have full faith that the wounds of the earthquake disaster we experienced on 6 February will be mended by solidarity between the state and the nation,” Çuhadar said in a statement announcing his resignation.
The province saw some 3,900 buildings collapse during the earthquake and more than 4,600 people lost their lives in the province. The city centre’s population fell to 40,000 from 350,000. Villages in the province have also been severely impacted by the earthquakes, with locals struggling to find shelter and food for themselves and their livestock.
Multiple families report having to share tents as insufficient numbers have been directed to the province, and issues continue with electricity and hygienic facility access.
