Red Crescent’s tent sale sparks debate

ISTANBUL

The Turkish Red Crescent’s sale of 2,050 tents in its warehouse to AHBAP, a local aid organization, in the first days of the quakes has sparked debate.

The 2,050 tents without logo, which were previously produced for a foreign organization and were in the warehouse at that time, were sold to AHBAP at cost price, stated Kerem Kınık, general manager of the Red Crescent.

The tents were transferred to the location indicated by the country’s disaster and emergency agency, AFAD, and delivered to the quake survivors, he added.

Kınık also underlined that the Red Crescent allocated the income received from the tents sales to AHBAP for the supply of tent raw materials, adding that tents to be produced would also be used for quake victims free of charge.

“AHBAP received donations for shelter, and we brought raw materials with this money and used it for our production. We have a transparent and supportable system,” Kınık said.

“The Red Crescent continues to provide shelter support to AFAD with a daily production of 1,000, as well as import and domestic contract manufacturing. The cooperation of the Red Crescent and AHBAP is ethic, rational and legal,” Kınık expressed.

Upon the criticism, AHBAP stated that the only company that can be provided tents immediately after the disaster is the subsidiary tent production company of the Red Crescent.

“We signed a contract for 2,050 tents, and we sent them the quake zone the next morning. The Red Crescent officials told me, ‘With this income, raw materials and fabrics will be purchased, tents will be produced and distributed free of charge to the citizens.’ Everything we do is legal and correct,” said Haluk Levent, the head of AHBAB.

The tent sale caused great reaction on social media, while several opposition parties also criticized the Red Crescent over the sale of tents, which were the primary needs in the quake region.