Erdogan visits tent city in Hatay after earthquake

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited tent cities and community leaders in Hatay province on Sunday after the area was struck especially hard by the February 6 earthquake. The earthquake left hundreds of thousands of people across 11 provinces sheltering in tents or temporary accommodation.

The death toll from the quake has now risen to 47,975 in Türkiye alone, including 6,278 foreigners, with Syrian nationals accounting for the largest share. Both Erdogan and his government’s response to the natural disaster has come under the spotlight, with critics accusing them of failing to prepare the earthquake-prone country for a disaster in waiting. Experts have pointed at lax enforcement of building codes as a major reason why the earthquake was so deadly.