Earthquake State Of Emergency Raises Concern Ahead Of May Elections

Turkish President Recep Erdogan has declared a state of emergency in 10 regions affected by this week's earthquakes.

• Erdogan said in a statement: "In order to ensure that search-and-rescue activities and subsequent activities can be carried out quickly, we have decided to declare a 3-month State of Emergency in 10 provinces in accordance with Article 119 of the Constitution."
• The move is not an unusual response to a disaster but has raised concerns, ahead of the May general election, in light of a three-month emergency decree following the 2016 coup attempt which remained in place for two years during which time ~100,000 people were arrested and ~150,000 public employees were removed.
• Sule Ozsoy Boyunsuz, a Turkish constitutional law professor told NYT: "The state of emergency allows the president to proportionally limit fundamental rights and freedoms,” including limitations on travel and implementation of curfews.
• NYT: "...the move raised immediate concerns, given that Turkey is set to hold pivotal elections in May, a vote in which Mr. Erdogan is fighting for his political survival. Turkey is facing an acute financial crisis and steep inflation."