ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

I’m not speaking hypothetically. This organization once hired a private helicopter for our Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) official, Alper Bey, with aid funds. In response to the Secretary General's behavior, federation employee Frederic Barzo resigned. We contacted him, and he confirmed the jet rental, clarifying it cost 27,000 CHF, not 35,000 CHF. He stated that his resignation was due to ethical breaches, not just the jet rental. So, the jet story is true. I checked if there were any available flights that day; there were plenty. The federation has core principles and rules and is responsible for member corruption allegations. The person investigating in Turkiye used aid money for a private jet, pressured organizations to refrain from issuing statements beyond this press release. It’s a case of the pot calling the kettle black. These organizations, seemingly aid agencies but home to big shots, exploit the homeless while maintaining their luxuries.

Following our report yesterday, TRC released a statement. We had asked, "Where are the 20,000 tents from China?" They replied, "A total of 38,757 tents were received from abroad and delivered to AFAD." This raises new questions. When I called officials for answers, they did not respond. So, let’s ask here: When I reported that you sold tents in the early days of the earthquake, you said, "We delivered 60,000 tents to AFAD." Are the 38,757 tents from abroad included in the total?

THE €3.5 MILLION DOCUMENT

Another issue concerns the €3.5 million fund for blankets to the International Red Cross Federation. I reported that this fund was being held, undecided whether to restock TRC’s depleted inventory or distribute blankets. I shared the donation table from donors. TRC and the federation president denied this, yet TRC's statement said, "Refilling empty stock is an international standard."

I trust my source and the accuracy of the information. Would I write this without documentation?

IFRC Turkiye Representative Ruben Cano stated, "There is no 'blanket' issue awaiting a response from TRC as claimed in the article. Moreover, no donation for blankets has been received by the federation as alleged in the article. All claims regarding blankets in the article are false." The source of this fund is the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Office (ECHO). This budget was approved on February 10. To make it easier for Ruben Cano, let’s provide the approval reference number: 2023/00640/RQ/01/01.