Analysis | Turkey and Our Compassion Deficit Syndrome

Perhaps 60,000 people perished in southern Turkey and northern Syria after the double seismic catastrophes of Feb. 6, 2023, more than 50,000 on the Turkish side alone. Even as victims were being rescued, pundits made analogies to a previous disaster, one that struck further north in the country on Aug. 17, 1999, taking the lives of about 18,000 people. The inept response of the government at that time gave impetus to the rise of a new political force, the Justice and Development party (AKP), which triumphed in the 2002 general elections. It has ruled the country since then. Its leader: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country’s current president.

Wouldn’t it be poetic justice — the thinking went, not just among the domestic opposition to Erdogan but overseas critics as well — if the 2023 disaster revealed Erdogan’s own shortcomings and led to his defeat in the elections? Indeed, the president and the AKP were hounded by reports of feeble rescue delays and widespread anger at the building standards that apparently led to the collapse of innumerable buildings.

But political earthquakes don’t occur along geological fault lines — or from narratives concocted out of hindsight. The AKP’s superior campaign organization did much to offset anger over the earthquake; and the opposition’s insipidity did the rest. Despite a flailing economy and substantial international opprobrium, Erdogan eked out a win by way of a runoff last weekend. History did not repeat itself.

The physical damage from the February earthquakes, however, remains. Away from the urban rubble, the effect on the countryside remains to be fully assessed. Agricultural exports make up about half the area’s income. The devastated region accounted for more than 15% of the country’s farmland, 20% of its crop production and 15% of its livestock. More than 200,000 farming enterprises are registered there.

At the end of April, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization said it had only received $2 million of the $112 million (over a three-year period) it had asked for in an appeal for Turkey. And while larger agricultural conglomerates will recover faster, small farmers will find it harder to find the funds to restore collapsed barns, damaged equipment and access to pesticide and seed. Supply-chain disruptions may not make themselves evident until later. The area was still reeling from the temblors in March — the time when planting usually begins. 

Compassion deficit syndrome often sets in soon after the adrenalin of an emergency dissipates. Aid workers are exhausted; donors no longer react with alacrity; contributions slow to a trickle; the news coverage moves on. The political role played by the February earthquakes — while focusing attention on the suffering — now feels like a plot point that didn’t quite work out and has to be written out of the drama. Indeed, the anti-Erdogan opposition has found it incomprehensible — if not odious — that people in the area affected by the earthquakes voted overwhelmingly for him in the runoff. There were celebrations in the streets of one quake-ravaged city at the news of his victory. 

But politics shouldn’t contravene charity — or being charitable. Short of another dire alarm, a more focused approach to help is advisable. Most aid from non-governmental organizations still seems focused on the immediate damage — lack of shelter, child welfare, hunger. Ankara has provided help too but longer- and middle-term assistance to sustain business recovery isn’t quite part of the program. And while big agricultural corporations will recover relatively swiftly, small farmers may be overlooked.

Business interests can dovetail with the agenda. One startup — Prototip:Raki, which makes artisanal versions of raki, the traditional grape-and-anise-based liqueur — has organized a chef-filled culinary convention in London in mid-June to drum up financial and gustatory interest in Turkey’s agriculture. Foodies — always looking for the next tasty thing — will respond. Proceeds will go the farmers in the earthquake area, which is the southernmost of the country’s grape-growing regions. Yes, it also helps promote the Prototip brand. Doing good shouldn’t preclude making good. 

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

Hiroshima Is the One Place You Must Visit in Japan: Howard Chua-Eoan

Turkey’s Erdogan Is Poised for a Third Decade in Power: Bobby Ghosh

Your Nation Is Its Story, For Better or Worse: Andreas Kluth

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Howard Chua-Eoan was the international editor of Bloomberg Opinion until April 2023. The former News Director of Time magazine, he now writes about the nexus of culture and business. 

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