Turkish leader admins ‘shortcomings’ as quake toll tops 15,000

Turkish President Recap Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday conceded ‘shortcomings” after criticism of his government’s response to the massive earthquake that has killed 15,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

The sprawling scale of the disaster that flattened thousands of buildings, trapping an unknown number of people, has swamped relief operations already hampered by freezing weather.

Survivors have been left to scramble for food and shelter and in some cases watch helplessly as their relatives called for rescue, and eventually went silent under the debris.