In Turkey, today, Sunday, the opposition and the media strongly criticized the Red Crescent for selling tents instead of donating them to survivors of the February 6 earthquake in the southeast of the country.
According to Cumhuriyet newspaper, which highlighted the case, the Turkish Red Crescent sold more than 2,000 survivor tents for 46 million Turkish liras (2.3 million euros) to the NGO Ahbab. On Sunday, the non-governmental organization confirmed that those tents had been moved and set up in the affected areas.
For his part, the head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kınık, confirmed on Twitter that Kizilay Kadir, a tent-manufacturing subsidiary, had provided shelters for loved ones “at cost.” “The Red Crescent’s cooperation with loved ones is moral, reasonable and ethical,” Kinnick said.
“scandal”
This intervention did not stop the uproar in the media and social networks. “Turkey’s largest charitable foundation sells tents instead of distributing them for free to those who need them, while people were begging for them three days after the earthquake. It’s a scandal,” said Murat Agirel, a journalist for Cumhuriyet newspaper.
Many opposition politicians are calling for President Knick’s resignation. Meral Aksener, head of the nationalist party Iye, wrote on Twitter: “Shame on you!”
Turkish government
The Red Crescent works closely with the Turkish government, which has been accused of not sending enough tents, humanitarian aid and rescue workers in the days following the devastating earthquake.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said just this week that the Red Crescent’s critics were “dishonest and despicable”.
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