The worst mining disaster in Turkey’s history has led to heightened criticism of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Prime Minister Erdogan has faced sharp criticism from some quarters for months now, but the mining disaster in Soma has brought anger to a boil. Many in Turkey are furious at their leader and blame him for the deadly blast. Together with the Gezi Park protests and recent corruption scandals, this public outrage has put Erdogan on the political defensive. It is a serious setback to his expected presidential candidacy in Turkey's August elections.
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