Turkish Red Crescent sets example: Chairman

Turkey's Red Crescent Society, also known as Kizilay, has set an example for the world, its head said Friday.

Kerem Kinik said the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) had chosen Kizilay as a structural model.

Kinik, also the vice president of the IFRC, is in Geneva where the IFRC's General Assembly and International Conference and Council of Delegates meetings are being held.

"We are going to discuss different topics in each of the three meetings," Kinik said, adding they were IFRC's top gatherings.

The IFRC is the “most developed humanitarian network of the world”, Kinik said and noted that the organization had about 15 million active volunteers and a budget of $30 billion.

Stating that Turkish Red Crescent was established 151 years ago, Kinik said the organization became the 12th member of the IFRC that was founded a century ago.

“It [Turkish Red Crescent] is one of the most reputable and senior partners of the IFRC,” he said, adding the Turkish humanitarian body would continue to contribute to the IFRC.

He went on to say that the federation would hold meetings in the International Conference Center of Geneva and tackle topics such as migration, conflicts, protection of conflict zones, sustainable and fair access to the global health services, use of technology, humanitarian aid and integration of refugees into the society.

He said the IFRC has significantly supported Turkish Red Crescent’s operations on refugees, providing about $172 million in this regard so far.

Stressing that Turkey stands as world’s top refugee-host country, where up to 4 million refugees take shelter, including over 3.6 million Syrians, Kinik said Ankara held the most detailed child protection programs in the world.

According to Kinik, Turkish Red Crescent has set a model for other aid organizations with the former’s experience in cross-border operations, humanitarian activities in conflict-prone territories and its rescue operations following natural disasters.

“Within the IFRC movement, the Turkish Red Crescent is held as an example, as a founding element, it sets a model and is a playmaker,” he said.

“The federation is powered by the Turkish Red Crescent, and vice versa,” he added, stating that the positive relations are mutually beneficial.

He concluded that Turkish Red Crescent would open a booth in the Global Refugee Forum, slated for Dec. 17-18 in Geneva, with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkey would be one of the co-presidents of the event.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas