Turkish Red Crescent (Turkish: Türk Kızılay (official) or Kızılay (for short) is the largest humanitarian organization in Turkey and is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The organization was founded in the Ottoman Empire in 1868, partly in response to the experience of the Crimean War, in which disease overshadowed battle as the main cause of death and suffering among Turkish soldiers. It was the first Red Crescent society of its kind and one of the most important charity organizations in the Muslim world. The society is a not-for-profit, volunteer-based social service institution providing unconditional aid and service, and is a corporate body governed by special legal provisions. Turkey’s Red Crescent organization has been criticized by lawmakers and citizens after revelations that it sold tents to a charity instead of donating them to people in urgent need after the massive earthquake that claimed more than 44,000 lives earlier this month (February 2023). (CNN) History The organization was founded under the Ottoman Empire on 11 June 1868 and was named "Hilâl-i Ahmer Cemiyeti" (Society of the Crimson Crescent), or in French the "Croissant-Rouge Ottomane" (Ottoman Red Crescent). It later took on the names: "Ottoman Red Crescent Society" in 1877 "Turkey’s Red Crescent Community" in 1923 "Turkish Red Crescent Community" in 1935 "Turkish Red Crescent Society" in 1947 It was renamed Kızılay by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1935, after the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. Beginning with the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78), the Turkish Red Crescent Society has provided medical relief to soldiers in all battlefields in which Turkey was present, through mobile and fixed hospitals, patient transportation services, hospital vessels, trained nurses and volunteers. It has provided humanitarian care regardless of nationality to all civilians affected by war. It has been involved in disaster relief and aid in natural disasters in Turkey. It has participated in international relief and response activities. Examples of disaster relief activities include: 2003 Bam earthquake 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami 2005 Kashmir earthquake 2006 Lebanon War Syrian Civil War 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake Activities Disaster management: Operations in 78 different countries in natural and human related disasters in the last 10 years Blood donations provided through 17 Regional Blood Centers, 65 Blood Donation Centers with more than 150 mobile blood donation vehicles Kinik, the head of the Turkish Red Crescent, said "Nearly 2.4 million people have donated blood to the