Earthquake and state
As we have not healed the wounds opened by the Covid pandemic completely, we have faced a devastating catastrophe of earthquake both in terms of territory it has affected and the destruction it has caused. In the face of this catastrophe, the organization called state, including all those elected and appointed, has dramatically and terribly failed. We can examine this failure under the headlines of pre- and post-earthquake. Let us start from post-earthquake.
Destruction is so huge and expanded that it is understandable at a certain extent that the immediate forces and personnel of the state may not cope with the situation as fast as it should. Then what is expected from state officials is to leave hubris aside and open the way for all, domestic or international, who is willing to help and facilitate their job. But, the state officials in Turkey neither sufficiently did what they should have done in the aftermath of the earthquake nor let the others do. For example, they have blocked the relief activities of municipalities that are not governed by their party, AKP. Moreover, they have lied, as if mocking the agonies of citizens, saying “We left none of our citizens in the disaster area hungry or unsheltered”.
They do not want anyone to shine out, but at the same time they are incapable of doing what should be done. It cannot be said that this situation is independent from the regime that has been created in Turkey and its mentality of governance. State is always authoritarian in Turkey, but Erdogan regime has turned this to totalitarianism. It has not left any domain that is not dominated by state which is a state that is integrated with a single party which the ruling Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi-AKP). They cannot tolerate the public visibility, and especially getting credit of anyone other than themselves and bureaucrats, who actually become party officials. This approach has an important role in the fiasco that took place after the earthquake.
As for the pre-earthquake reasons of the failure, many different things can be said under various headlines. Violation of the process of giving construction permits, ignoring the remarks and warnings of earthquake experts, scientists, allowing construction on lands that were supposed to be meeting places for people after an earthquake etc...However, I, rather than specific and technical issues, want to underline something more general that is related to not only state but also common mentality in society, which is the definition and perception of “great and strong state”. If we do not want to be buried under the rubbles of earthquake, we should change our definition and perception of great state. In Turkey, those states that have large armies, powerful weapons, can occupy other countries, prosecute dissidents by its police are perceived as great states. Nevertheless, great and strong state is that state which can let its citizens live, and live prosperously, construct buildings that are not demolished in earthquakes and can cope with such catastrophes when occurred; and coping with catastrophes start before catastrophes, even that part is more significant. It is about how much resources are allocated to which people and activities during “normal times”, and, of course, this is a political choice. This determines if you are a great state and can cope with disasters.
Let us not forget that every penny allocated to armament, occupation, security policies is cut from potential resources for education, health or in this case struggle against earthquake. Are they mutually exclusive? If your resources are scarce, and Turkey’s resources are, yes, they are mutually exclusive. When I say “resources”, please do not think about only money but besides it labor, time, know-how, education etc. are all resources. Well, your decision about allocating these resources to which areas, which purposes in your “routine”, “normal” times determines if you will be a great state or not. It determines the answer of the question if you will be country that boasts its tanks , weaponry or its capability of constructing buildings that do no collapse in earthquakes and of not sacrificing its people to catastrophes.
Is not there any country in the world that achieves both at the same time? There is but not much but their resources are much wider than Turkey’s. If you are not able to do both, then your choice determines your fate.
On the other hand, to me, any resource spent for weaponry, military technologies, armies etc., not only in Turkey but anywhere in the world, means betrayal of humanity, current and next generations as well. I know that for many, this argument is naive to the point of stupidity. But the first step of creating a better, happier, wealthier world for human beings is to stop seeing this remark naïve.
