Lawyers file complaint against Red Crescent officials over selling of tents after quakes

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) has filed a criminal complaint against Red Crescent officials for "abuse of office" after it was revealed that the agency had charged a charity group for earthquake relief tents.

The selling of the tents was first revealed last week by the daily Cumhuriyet. Both the Red Crescent and AHBAP, the charity group, admitted the sale, arguing that it was legal.

The Red Crescent said it had charged only the cost of raw materials, as it does with the country's disaster management agency.

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However, the lawyers' group argued that criminal liability arises from the action as "the primary duty of the Red Crescent is to protect people's lives at times of natural disasters" and "to deliver the tents under its responsibility to the disaster area."

"Putting the tents on sale through a business .... instead of fulfilling the mentioned duty ... creates criminal responsibility for Red Crescent managers within the framework of the laws to which they are subject," said the TTB statement.

"In addition to criminal liability, the action of the suspects explained also clearly violated humanitarian law, the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and international human rights law."

On February 6, two earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 struck the southern city of Maraş. The first quake in the Pazarcık district at 4.17 a.m. was followed by the second one in Elbistan about nine hours later.

The quakes affected 11 cities in Türkiye's south and southeast, as well as Syria's northern parts.

The official death toll from the quakes stands at over 45,000 and is expected to increase further, as over 160,000 buildings were destroyed or severely damaged, according to government figures.

Nearly two million people have been displaced due to the earthquakes. (AS/VK)