With the confirmed death toll approaching 12,000, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the especially hard-hit Hatay province, where more than 3,300 people died and entire neighborhoods were destroyed. Residents there have criticized the government’s efforts, saying rescuers were slow to arrive.
Erdogan, who faces a tough battle for reelection in May, reacted to the mounting frustration by acknowledging problems with the emergency response to Monday’s 7.8 magnitude quake but said the winter weather had been a factor, AP writes.
The earthquake also destroyed the runway in Hatay’s airport, further disrupting the response.