Friday, June 15, 2012

Flotilla organizers linked to Al Qaeda

Still think the Gaza flotillas were created to deliver essential humanitarian aid?

Turkish media reported Friday that Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) director Bulent Yildirim has allegedly been transferring funds to al-Qaeda through his organization.

From the J Post

"Turkish legal authorities are investigating allegations that one of the key figures behind the May 2010 Gaza flotilla, Bülent Yildirim, was involved in transferring funds to al-Qaida, Turkish daily Habertürk reported on Friday.

Bülent Yildirim is the president of the IHH, a Turkish charity that was one of the main planners of the Gaza flotilla. On May 31, 2010, IDF commandos raided one of the flotilla vessels attempting to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the Mavi Marmara, killing nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists. While Turkey has accused Israel of unprovoked aggression and demanded an apology for the deaths, Israel maintains that the commandos were confronted by violent IHH terrorists when they boarded the vessel and acted in self defense.

The IHH is widely considered a terrorist organization by a number of bodies - including the Israeli government, and has been accused of maintaining ties with a number of terror organizations.

According to the Habertürk report, special prosecutors in both Istranbul and Diyarbakir are conducting separate investigations into claims that Yildirim has been secretly "providing financial aid to al-Qaida via his foundation."

The IHH, short for the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (Insani Yardim Vakfi), is an Islamic charity that was founded in the mid-90s to provide aid to Bosnia Muslims. Since then, it has been involved in charity operations in a number of Muslim and Middle Eastern countries, including Indonesia, Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon and aid missions to the Palestinian territories.

According to the Israeli NGO The Intelligence and Information Center, the IHH is affiliated with Hamas and the Union of the Good, an Islamic umbrella affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood."

1 comment:

Shirl in Oz said...

Here's an interesting post for you I picked up on a blog just after the Mavi Marmara incident.

****Post by yeovill50

I personally think that Israel is a rogue state and against the occupation of Palestine.

However, what I am concentrating on is what happened on this night, and through my own experience believe and know that violence was welcomed by some on board the MM –


I live in Turkey they don't describe themselves as Islamics..but securlist! The rhetoric on board by Bulent Yilderim totally washed over! AS for hyperbole learn Turkish and look at the martydom videos some on board made before setting off!!

I feel myself lucky because although, you may think I am a Zionist, you would be wrong. I remember that Isreal acyually used violence to obtain their state..Jerusalem Hotel anyone?. However I had the opportunity of meeting activist from the MM before it even set sail, when it docked in my home port!. Meeting, eating and talking to them. If you seriously think that it was a full of peaceful people - believe me I wished you could have been with me when I talked with them!

You are right of course some of those on board had the right and proper intentions - however naive they may have been that it would actually succeed. However, do not be under no illussion that a sigificant group on board the MM had a more propogandic intention and less naive..Let me ask you a question?..Why was the flotila not given an escort by the Turkish navy? after all it was backed by the AKP Government***