Erdogan's success in dealing with aftermath of devastating earthquake will be a test ahead of elections - ambassador

RIGA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's success in dealing with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake will be a test ahead of the upcoming elections, Latvian Ambassador to Turkey Peteris Vaivars believes.

In an interview on Latvian Television this morning, he informed that so far no information has been received about Latvian nationals killed or injured in the disaster in Turkey. News has been received about a group of seven people who were staying in Adana, but they have already made it to Istanbul and will soon return to Latvia.

Vaivars explained that yesterday Erdogan and the leader of the opposition party were in the region affected by the disaster, and it can be seen that the information is being controlled to a certain extent so that basically only positive news appears in the public space.

"Perhaps it is related to the upcoming elections. How successfully the president will deal with the disaster will be a litmus test for the election results," Vaivars assessed.

He emphasized that the earthquake-affected region now needs a wide range of aid, including warm clothing, dry food, medical supplies.

The death toll from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria exceeded 15,000 on Wednesday, as rescuers continued to search for survivors in the rubble of buildings.