Turkish Red Crescent slammed for 'selling tents' to charity amid earthquake disaster
Turkish Red Crescent slammed for 'selling tents' to charity amid earthquake disaster
Turkey's Red Crescent has received a slew of criticism after reports emerged they sold thousands of tents to a charity rather than donating them to the homeless following the devastating earthquake last month.
2 min read
1.5 million people are estimated to have been made homeless after the earthquake [source: Getty]
Turkey’s Red Crescent has faced a wave of criticism after revelations they sold tents to a charity rather than donating them after the devastating earthquake on February 6.
The humanitarian organisation reportedly sold 2,050 tents to the Turkish charity AHBAP for 46 million Turkish liras, around £2.4 million.
Meral Aksener, leader of Turkey’s opposition right-wing IYI Party, and Ahmet Davutoglu, a former prime minister, slammed the Red Crescent for profiting during a time of immense need in the country, calling the sale "ignorant and shameful".
[#𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗖]
— Türk Kızılay International (@RedCrescent) February 27, 2023
🔹 85.710.501 Hot Meal
🔹 370 Mobile Kitchen
🔹 4.011 Volunteers
With the help of our volunteers, we are working on the field to reduce people’s suffering in the earthquake area. pic.twitter.com/NkKQyOxDEE
"Since the earthquake affected 10 provinces and the destruction was at an extraordinary level, the existing stocks of all tent manufacturers in our country could not meet the grievances of our citizens," AHBAP said in a tweet.
"Our friends had a meeting with [Turkish Red Crescent] and we immediately signed the contract for the tents that we learned had 2,050 tents in hand," they added.
Kerem Kinik, president of The Red Crescent, told CNN Turk on Monday that he was not aware of the sale, claiming that had he been aware he would have given the tents away.
A tweet from his account posted on Monday read: "PUBLIC DISCLOSURE. The Red Crescent Society delivers the donations it receives to those in need, it certainly does NOT sell it."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan then waded into the debate, calling those who criticised the Red Crescent #"dishonest and vile".
Turkish authorities have been heavily criticised for failing to respond swiftly to the disastrous earthquake which killed over 45,000 people.
Communities, particularly in the southern provinces close to the epicentre, claim search and research operations were limited and lacklustre.
They said loved ones were trapped under rubble for days and many people died needlessly.
Erdogan has asked to be "pardoned” for the delays in aid and rescue, saying: "We are aware of everything, no one should doubt that we will do what is necessary."
More In News
