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Turkey's Kurdish opposition says government obstructing quake relief efforts

Opposition politicians say the usurping of municipalities by government appointees has weakened their ability to respond to Turkey's Feb. 6 earthquake disaster.
ILYAS AKENGIN/AFP via Getty Images

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey — At a disaster center in the heart of southeast Turkey, staff rush about answering phones, furiously tapping messages and calling out questions to colleagues. But beneath the frenetic activity, the country’s “Kurdish question” casts a shadow even in times of catastrophe

The crisis office in Diyarbakir, the de facto capital of Turkey’s Kurds, is part of the aid operation organized by the People's Democratic Party (HDP) following the Feb. 6 earthquake. The party has its roots in the Kurdish community, from which it still draws most of its support. 

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