Latest earthquake news in Turkey and Syria dead rescues and

Latest earthquake news in Turkey and Syria: dead, rescues and more in

Criticism is mounting over Turkey’s new earthquake campaign, which has raised more than $6.1 billion

Items donated to those affected by the collapse and destruction caused by last week’s earthquake that devastated Syria and Turkey (Credit: OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey’s new campaign for earthquake victims, dubbed Türkiye One Heart, raised more than 115.1 billion Turkish liras (about US$6.1 billion) after most Turkish broadcasters and radio stations broadcast it this Wednesday evening, to help the survivors of the devastating earthquake that devastated 11 provinces.

Many well-known Turkish celebrities participated in the live coverage to help launch the campaign and answer calls for donations.

During a phone conversation with the live show, Governor Sahap Kavcioglu announced that the Central Bank of Turkey (CBRT) would donate 30 billion Turkish liras ($1.6 billion), which is the largest donation and about a quarter of all during the Event funds raised constitutes This broadcast on Wednesday night, according to the local state-run Anadolu News Agency.

However, following the announcement of the donation amounts and where most of the money came from, criticism erupted on social media.

Professor Refet Gurkaynak, an economist at Bilkent University, wrote on Twitter: “It would be great if you cut the salaries of PPK (Central Bank Monetary Policy Committee) members, but it wouldn’t get to 30 billion (I hope). . If you donate money from the central bank, give what is public, be ashamed to show it off. (And when you invent assets and in turn create new liabilities, I don’t think you can sleep)”

Hakan Kara, former chief economist at the Central Bank of Turkey, also questioned the donations via his Twitter account: “Is the central bank’s ‘donation’ to the public in practice a donation? When the CBRT makes a donation to the public, it counts it as an expense, its profit decreases, and it transfers less to the Treasury the following year.”

Kara added: “In other words, in a functional sense, it is the withdrawal of profits that the CBRT will transfer to the Treasury in lieu of a grant going forward. What is she doing? This year, public finances will be eased deficit The budget and public debt are temporarily low, and public interest expenditure will be reduced. What is the risk? As a result of this carryover, inflation will rise as the public sector spends much more with a sense of temporary relief.”

There were also state banks and other organizations that donated large sums. Turkey’s state banks followed suit with commitments from Ziraat Bankasi of 20 billion lira ($1 billion), Vakif of 12 billion Turkish liras ($637 million) and Halk of 7 billion liras ($371.3 million). US dollars), Anadolu reported.

The editor-in-chief of Turkey’s popular independent media platform Medyascope, Rusen Cakir, criticized the on-air campaign, saying: “Much of it is money that the government already had that could have been donated without the spectacle of a major TV show.. Some of the big business people who have donated are trying to make their claim by donating in full view. Although the money raised is significant, there is an off-putting side to the way the fundraiser was conducted to raise awareness.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on one of his first trips to the earthquake-hit areas of Turkey. (Ozkan Bilgin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The country’s GSM operators Turkcell and Turk Telekom also donated 3.5 billion lira ($185.6 million) and 2 billion lira ($106 million) respectively, Anadolu reported.

Turkey Savings Deposit Insurance Fund, Borsa Istanbul and Turkey Sigorta Turkish Banking Group each donated 2 billion lira ($106 million).

The country’s defense company Baykar and national carrier Turkish Airlines also donated 2 billion lira ($106 million) each.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cabinet members, opposition party leaders and many celebrities also donated large sums to the campaign.

Donations raised through the campaign will be sent to the country’s Presidency of Emergency and Disaster Management (AFAD) and Turkey’s Red Crescent Society, according to Anadolu.