A state of emergency gives the president the ability to bypass parliament when it comes to introducing new laws and to limit or suspend rights and freedoms when they deem it necessary, writes Reuters.
– We have decided to declare a state of emergency to ensure that the operation is carried out quickly, Erdogan said.
The exemption will be valid for three months, which means that it will end shortly before the presidential and parliamentary elections, which are scheduled to take place on 14 May.
During Tuesday, Erdogan also informed that 70 countries have offered Turkey help with the rescue efforts. He also said Turkey plans to open hotels in the tourist resort of Antalya to temporarily house people affected by the earthquakes.