Turkish president Erdogan visits quake survivors amid criticism over rescue efforts

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met earthquake survivors on a visit to a heavily damaged area on February 8, 2023. Erdogan made assurances that the “situation was under control”, but he faces mounting criticism about the government’s response being slow and inadequate. The 7.8-magnitude quake is now the world’s deadliest in nearly 12 years, and the death toll in affected areas in Turkey and neighbouring Syria has risen to at least 12,000.