Turkey's Ruling Party To Build Election Campaign On Promises To Quake Victims - Reports

ISTANBUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th March, 2023) Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is going to build its election campaign around promises to mitigate the consequences of the devastating earthquakes and improve the economic situation by launching a series of megaprojects, Turkish media reported on Monday.

The AKP's campaign is expected to be based on pledges to provide housing for earthquake victims and rebuild cities within one year, the Hurriyet newspaper reported. The leader of the AKP, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, plans to hold iftars or fast-breaking evening meals, with people affected by the natural disaster during the Ramadan month, the report said.

The news outlet also said that the ruling party would hold several rallies with the participation of the president, as well as open a series of megaprojects as a means to gain some popularity.

Starting April 20, a number of megaprojects will be announced including a ceremony for the development of Turkish fifth-generation fighter TF-X, the opening of the Ankara-Sivas high-speed train line, the start of Black Sea gas supplies to households will take place, according to the newspaper.

Erdogan is likely to emphasize that if he wins, the implementation of these important projects will continue in Turkey, while opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu will be creating obstacles, if he comes to power.

The AKP probably will not place its campaign posters in 11 provinces affected by the quakes, the report said, while in other provinces, it will praise the success of existing projects, including Turkey's first electric car TOGG, the Akkuyu nuclear power plant being built by Rosatom, various domestically produced drones, the Canakkale bridge and others.

Turkey's presidential and parliamentary elections will take place on May 14. Kilicdaroglu, the presidential candidate of the opposition alliance, will be Erdogan's main opponent. Opinion polls currently does not show a clear winner, and the elections are likely to become the most challenging for the ruling party and Erdogan, due to the February earthquakes, which killed at least 50,000 people and caused significant material damage. The opposition blames Erdogan for the corruption in the construction industry that led to new buildings collapsing in the quake-hit areas and the slow response to the natural disaster.