Raging Wildfires Provide Bleak Backdrop for Embattled Erdogan
- Worst blazes in decades left Turkey’s government struggling
- Twitter campaign #helpturkey draws rebuke from Erdogan aide
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Wildfires ravaging Turkey’s picturesque coasts and a flailing government response are adding to the list of political woes for an increasingly unpopular President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Protests on social media peaked over the weekend with Twitter and Facebook awash with videos of decimated forests along Turkey’s southern coast, victims in despair, holidaymakers being rescued by boat and calls for international help. A #helpturkey campaign spurred millions of postings within hours and trended from Turkey to the U.K.