Pharmacists also announce that Red Crescent sold them the tents they needed after the quakes

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Arman Üney, the chairperson of the Turkish Pharmacists' Association (TEB), told a daily newspaper yesterday (February 26) that the Red Crescent sold them the tents they needed in the earthquake-hit region.

Üney said that they bought from the Red Crescent five tents in order to distribute medicine to the quake victims for free, and paid 140 thousand lira each.

The chairperson's announcement came at a time when the sale of tents from the Red Crescent to AHBAB, a singer's charity, revealed the day before, was still being widely discussed.

Arman Üney told Sözcü that they wanted to set up field pharmacies in the earthquake region but had difficulty finding tents, and that they applied to the Red Crescent. Üney gave the information that they have bought 5 tents from the Red Crescent and made the payment to the Red Crescent Tent and Textile company which is an affiliate of the Red Crescent.

TEB is giving pharmacy services in the earthquake region in 28 spots in containers and tents. Üney also informed that they have bought some of the containers and tents, while some other were donated.

2.4 million dollar sale to AHBAB

Murat Ağırel, a columnist for the daily Cumhuriyet, revealed the sale to AHBAB first, alleging that the AHBAP paid 46 million lira (2.4 million US dollars) to the Red Crescent for tents on the third day after the double earthquake on February 6.

According to the report, the Red Crescent said the charity group had been charged the cost of the "raw materials" in order to continue tent manufacturing.

Both Kerem Kınık, head of the Red Crescent, and Haluk Levet, the head of the popular charity organization AHBAB confirmed the sale on Sunday (February 26).

Levent defended the action on Twitter, saying, "We didn't have the luxury [to think about] whether we should buy these tents or not."

"Every transaction we made was legal and right," he added.

Kınık also tweeted that they had sold 2,050 tents to the charity group, charging the costs of the tents. (RT/PE)