Erdogan sacrifices Turkish lives during pandemic for economic gains
Despite the number of those infected with the novel Covid-19
corona virus in Turkey exceeding 13,000, it seems that President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan does not care, as he stressed that maintaining the economy is his
current priority, far from the global state of preoccupation the deadly virus.
In a shocking statement on Monday, March 30, Erdogan
emphasized the need to continue production and keep "the wheels of labor
turning" during the corona virus pandemic in order to support the
country’s exports and maintain basic commodity supplies.
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced on Tuesday,
March 31, that more than 200 citizens died of the virus.
Zeki Kilicaslan, a professor at Istanbul University’s Faculty
of Medicine, said that the number of cases of the virus in Turkey has gone out
of control, pointing out that the number of deaths soon reach similar numbers
as those recorded in Italy or Spain.
Kilicaslan confirmed that the rapid increase in the number
of cases is largely due to the lack of tests and the delay in response by the
authorities.
Meanwhile, opposition İYİ Party deputy leader Ahat Andican
confirmed that the figures announced by the Ministry of Health regarding the
spread of the virus did not reveal the true size of the pandemic in the
country, as the Turkish president and his ministers have remained in denial.
On March 29, the opposition Turkey Now website reported that
Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy chairman Veli Agbaba asked Health
Minister Koca on Twitter to disclose that 11 Turkish soldiers have contracted
the corona virus.
Pandemic profiteering
The terrorist regimes in Turkey and Qatar appear to have
agreed to keep their airspace open for profit, even at the expense of their
citizens’ health during the corona crisis. Turkey Now reported that Qatar
Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baker revealed that Turkey has continued to receive many
foreigners daily through flights departing from Doha to Istanbul, as Qatar
Airways is one of the few companies in the world that are still determined to
operate flights despite the decreased demand during the global pandemic.
On the other hand, the opposition Turkish newspaper Zaman
reported that CHP MP Engin Altay stressed that the Turkish presidency must
abandon luxury and end financial corruption instead of inviting citizens to
participate in a donation campaign to provide the necessary funding to face the
corona pandemic after Erdogan launched a national donation campaign.
This is the second donation campaign that Erdogan has called
for in three months, following a campaign in January to help those affected by an
earthquake, which was not free from criticism, as the government has exploited
natural disasters in order to obtain funds from citizens.
