The activities of the Turkish group IHH highlight its self-declared mission to assist Muslims in the region and support Turkey’s goal of becoming a model and mediator in a turbulent part of the world. But, its increasing prominence is riling critics in Israel, who allege the aid group has terrorist links, although it is not on a US list of terrorist groups.
The group has emerged as an informal arm of Turkey’s foreign policy, even though the government and group say they have no direct ties.
Preparing for another possible showdown with Israel, the group again plans to dispatch a flotilla, which would leave for Gaza after Turkish elections in June.
In May, nine pro-Palestinian activists — eight Turkish citizens, and a Turkish American — were killed when Israeli commandos boarded a ship in the group’s flotilla, the Mavi Marmara. Israel has not met Turkish demands for an apology and compensation, and relations between the two countries, which once shared a close alliance, remain poor.
The group, whose Turkish acronym means Foundation for Human Rights and Freedom and Humanitarian Relief, says the flagship in its planned Gaza flotilla will again be the Mavi Marmara. The group “will be the winner even if Israel intervenes again,” Salih Bilici, an IHH official, said Friday. The remark indicated the aid group’s awareness of the power of negative publicity to hurt Israeli interests if its troops block the aid shipment.
IHH president Bulent Yildirim, who was among the activists on board the Mavi Marmara, said the group’s “goal is to draw attention to Gaza,” and create international pressure on Israel to end the blockade. Another flotilla could force the Turkish government to distance itself from the group, said Osman Bahadir Dincer, a Middle East expert.
“The government cannot officially block it if they really insist on going but the IHH must take into account whether such a move would bring good or harm to Turkey,” said Dincer. “It is obvious that the Mavi Marmara incident has seriously troubled Turkish-Israeli relations.” Dincer said if the Islamic-rooted government comes to power again after June 12 elections, “it might probably oppose such a move a bit more clearly.” IHH, meanwhile, said it was planning to send an aid ship from Istanbul next week to the Libyan port of Misrata, the scene of fierce fighting.
The ship will carry food, powdered milk, infant formula and medicines. It deployed dozens of activists, including doctors, just two days after the Libyan uprising broke out in February and established a tent city and a soup kitchen at the border crossing with Tunisia.
The charity said its activities in Libya are carried out in coordination with Turkish diplomatic missions there as well as Tunisia’s Red Crescent, the Muslim equivalent of the Red Cross, and other aid groups.
It also helped in the evacuation of hundreds of Turkish citizens from Libya as Turkey whisked away more than 30,000 people, including 6,000 foreigners.
“A humanitarian drama is lived in Libya,” IHH says on its website. “Let’s support our Libyan brothers.”
