Pro-gov't figures target singer Haluk Levent's charity Ahbap following huge donations
Some pro-government figures have targeted the AHBAP association, which is helping rescue efforts in the quake-stricken provinces, and demanded that their donation be transferred to the state-run AFAD.
Duvar English
Pro-government figures have started to target singer Haluk Levent's social assistance organization AHBAP working in the quake-stricken provinces following the huge amount of donations made to the charity instead of the state-run Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
They have also targeted famous YouTuber Oğuzhan Uğur who has been similarly helping with collecting donations through his YouTube channel Babala TV.
Since the beginning of this week, both Haluk Levent and Oğuzhan Uğur have given huge efforts in facilitating coordination between rescue teams, citizens stuck under the rubble and their beloved ones in the quake-stricken provinces.
Birol Gür, who resigned from the far-right National Movement Party (MHP) Istanbul Provincial Chair last year, mentioned both Ahbap and Oğuzhan Uğur's name in a tweet, urging citizens to instead make their donations to the state-run Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
Similarly, pro-government columnist Turgay Güler said on Ülke TV that "You cannot deliver 1 billion liras to Haluk Levent, he cannot manage it."
Member of the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) board of directors Berk Can Doğan said "The labor and sweat of tens of thousands of volunteers should not be credited to these two (Levent and Uğur)."
"If the detailed information of the amount of money collected and the bill of the expenses are published tomorrow morning, it will be seen what has been done so far. If the donation (made for AHBAP) is just waiting, all of it can be transferred to AFAD," another pro-government columnist Hacı Yakışıklı tweeted.
After targets, Haluk Levent said: "Despite those who want to interrupt our work! Both AFAD and AHBAP is ours!"
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also reacted against the attacks towards the AHBAP on Twitter.
He said that those attempting to slander AHBAP should instead ensure that aid distribution coordination runs smoothly. “Don't even think about hijacking the institutions that the people built themselves,” Kılıçdaroğlu tweeted.
From the first day onwards, various civil organizations have been trying to help earthquake victims by collecting donations using social media.
Millions of liras have been donated to AHBAP instead of the state-run AFAD amid corruption concerns, with people saying that they do not know how their money will be spent in the latter.
On the other hand, the ruling AKP-MHP coalition has been trying to monopolize aid distribution in the hands of AFAD.
The AHBAP Association is known for its regular aid activities and made the headlines with its help to the earthquake victims. Nonetheless, hackers attacked the association’s website for hours on Feb. 9, ANKA news agency reported.
Some 18,342 people have yet lost their lives, and 74,242 others have been injured in two major earthquakes that struck southeastern Turkey early on Feb. 6. The number of demolished buildings has been yet recorded as 6,444.
Some 13.5 million people have been affected in 10 provinces, in an area spanning 1,000 square kilometers in the two major earthquakes.