The IHH and Erdogan: Partners in crime

The New York Times has investigated the IHH and discovered that it has deep ties to the Islamist Turkish government, including its Islamist Prime Minister—the one who has been working hard at ending Turkey’s relationship with Israel and cozying up to the Islamists in the Arab world.

The Turkish charity that led the flotilla involved in a deadly Israeli raid has extensive connections with Turkey’s political elite, and the group’s efforts to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza received support at the top levels of the governing party, Turkish diplomats and government officials said.

[…] When leaders of the charity returned home after nine Turks died in the Israeli raid, they were warmly embraced by top Turkish officials, said Huseyin Oruc, deputy director of the charity, who was aboard the flotilla.

“When we flew back to Turkey, I was afraid we would be in trouble for what happened, but the first thing we saw when the plane’s door opened in Istanbul was Bulent Arinc, the deputy prime minister, in tears,” he said in an interview. “We have good coordination with Mr. Erdogan,” he added. “But I am not sure he is happy with us now.”

The article substantiates the many ties between the Islamist AK party and the IHH, including the membership of IHH board members in the party, as well as an AK party candidate selling the Mavi Marmara to the IHH. This is something that was brought up long ago, that most of the news media chose not to investigate. So kudos to the Times for exposing the many government ties of the “peace activists” who attacked the IDF soldiers as they rappelled down to the ship. Turkish journalists have been writing about this for weeks.

“How can such a large country as Turkey, with interests in four continents, and with an export- and investment-driven economy requiring extra caution all around the globe, be dragged to the brink of war by a nongovernmental organization?” asked Semih Idiz, a columnist for the Hurriyet Daily News in Turkey, in a June 7 editorial. The answer, he added, is that the charity is a “GNGO” — a “governmental-nongovernmental-organization.”

The UN Human Rights Council is moving forward with its investigation on the flotilla incident. I will print out this post and eat it if they reveal that the Turkish government has ties to the IHH in their report.