"Government, resign!" chanted thousands of Istanbul Besiktas fans in the Inonu stadium on Sunday evening for the league match against Antalyaspor, nearly three weeks after the devastating earthquake in southeastern Turkey.

Besiktas fans also threw soft toys on the lawn in tribute to the children who were victims of the February 6 earthquake that killed more than 44,000 people in Turkey and also affected neighboring Syria.

Government targeted for lack of response

The day before, Fenerbahçe fans had already chanted "Lies, cheating, it's been 20 years, resign!" during a match against Konyaspor.

Since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, the Turkish government has been heavily criticized by the opposition and independent media for its lack of response during the first days in devastated areas.

In the run-up to the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for 14th May the popularity of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, already damaged by the economic crisis, is suffering even more.

In an attempt to silence critics, Ankara temporarily blocked access to Twitter on February 8. Turkey's High Broadcasting Council (RTUK) also sanctioned three television channels that criticized the government.

"Voices find a loophole and rise"

"The earthquake is not only destroying homes, but also the empire of fear. Even if we ban Twitter or TV channels (...), voices find a flaw and rise. As was the case in the stands of Fenerbahçe, "said Saturday a Turkish journalist, Mustafa Hos, on Twitter.

Supporters of Besiktas, one of Istanbul's clubs, are reputed to be rather close to the opposition. Open calls for the resignation of the authorities are rare in Turkey since President Erdogan hardened power after the coup attempt against him in 2016.

"While our country is fighting against the greatest catastrophe of the century, shouting resignation slogans during the Fenerbahçe-Konyaspor match is irresponsible and senseless," Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Action party, coalition partner of Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party, said on Twitter.

Devlet Bahceli even called on clubs to take "urgent and necessary measures" to ensure that matches are played without fans.

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