Israel points finger at Turkish activists
ByDelphine Strauss in Ankara
Published: June 2 2010 18:38 | Last updated: June 2 2010 18:38
Turkish activists who survived Israel’s raid on their convoy to Gaza could expect a hero’s welcome on their return home on Wednesday, but the aid agency that channelled millions of dollars into the boats and their cargoes is attracting controversy.
The Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief – known by its Turkish acronym IHH, draws on widespread sympathy for the Palestinian cause in Turkish society.
But its ethos is more Islamist than is typical in secular Turkey. Founded in the 1990s, the IHH’s early work was directed at aiding Muslims in Bosnia. It came under scrutiny from a Turkish government fearful of fundamentalism, and was excluded by the army from official efforts to help victims of the 1999 earthquake.
Israelis claim the IHH has a history of supporting violent extremism and even of links to al-Qaeda. Israel’s government points to intelligence reports from the 1990s saying that the IHH aimed to “recruit veteran soldiers in anticipation of the coming holy war” and sent men to gain battlefield experience in Bosnia, Chechnya and Afghanistan.
“It’s not difficult to understand why Israel is spreading these slanders,” responded Izzet Sahin, an IHH member who was detained by the Israeli authorities earlier this year.
From its headquarters in Istanbul’s Fatih district, the IHH has backed Muslim causes célèbres, notably by sending a mobile hospital to the Iraqi town of Fallujah after the US bombardment. Its president, Bulent Yildirim, urges engagement with Hamas – in Israeli eyes, enough to prove IHH’s guilt, but it also runs health projects in African countries and sent aid to Haiti after the earthquake.
“I think they support whoever needs help most,” said Ravza Kavakci, a supporter. As for IHH’s finances, she said the body was “extra careful because they are being watched in the international arena”.
The IHH’s staff and resources have grown in tandem with the wealth of socially conservative Anatolian businessmen who are also natural supporters of Turkey’s ruling AK party.
Politically, IHH it is closest to the Islamist Saadet party, but its board also includes at least one AK member. The government does not condone its efforts, but previous aid to Gaza was sent by the national carrier, Turkish Airlines, and the Mavi Marmara that joined the convoy was bought from the state ferry company, IDO.
Gareth Jenkins, an Istanbul-based analyst, said Israeli accusations were misleading, but there were some IHH members who “would help jihadists get to places they want to go”, as well as many sympathisers with radical causes. |
