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Report of Israeli Think-Tank on the Global Muslim Brotherhood

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Report of Israeli Think-Tank on the Global Muslim Brotherhood Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs המרכז הירושלמי לענייני ציבור ומדינה )ע"ר( TURKEY, THE GLOBAL MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD, AND THE GAZA FLOTILLA Steven G. Merley This report presents the results of an investigation into the role played by the Global Muslim Brotherhood and its Turkish allies in the May 2010 Gaza flotilla which involved a violent altercation between passengers on one of the ships and Israeli naval forces. TURKEY, THE GLOBAL MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD, AND THE GAZA FLOTILLA Steven G. Merley Abstract: This report presents the results of an investigation into the role played by the Global Muslim Brotherhood and its Turkish allies in the May 2010 Gaza flotilla which involved a violent altercation between passengers on one of the ships and Israeli naval forces. Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs המרכז הירושלמי לענייני ציבור ומדינה )ע"ר( © 2011 Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs 13 Tel Hai Street, Jerusalem, Israel Tel. 972-2-561-9281, Fax. 972-2-561-9112 Email: [email protected] www.jcpa.org ISBN 978-965-218-095-7 Editor: Sharon Blass Production Director: Adam Shay Graphic Design: www.ramijaki.co.il • Rami & Jacky / Elisheva Cohen Cover Photo: The Turkish ship Mavi Marmara taking part in the Gaza flotilla (AFP). Note: All quotations used in this report were either cited verbatim from their sources or translated where necessary. The misspellings and other linguistic errors that appear in these references are the result of either translations by non-native English speakers or errors in the source documents. TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOSSARY 5 CONCLUSIONS 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 13 Background 13 Turkish/MB Network 15 Demonizing Israel 16 Conferences 16 Demonstrations 17 Press Conferences 18 Legal Actions 18 Aid Campaigns 18 Support Of The Turkish Government 19 Relationship To Hamas 19 Pre-Flotilla support 20 Post-Flotilla support 21 Statements 21 Role of Kuwait 22 IUMS Meeting 23 Chart 1: Turkish/Mb Network 24 REPORT 25 Introduction 25 The Flotilla 25 Global Muslim Brotherhood 27 The Global Muslim Brotherhood and the Turkish Government 31 The Free Gaza Movement and the Global Muslim Brotherhood 36 Network Background (1998-2005) 38 Gazi Misirli- The Origins of a Turkish MB Leader 38 IHH- A Politicized Charity 39 Jamal Kerim- Second MB Leader Emerges 42 MAZLUMDER - A Politicized Human Rights Group 43 The Network Stirs (2006) 44 Qaradawi Comes To Turkey 44 1st Actions - Lebanon and Gaza 46 Foundations (2007) 48 February FIDDER Emerges 48 July/August 2007 49 November - Al-Quds International Forum 51 The Network Mobilizes (2008) 53 January-March 53 Sixth Al-Quds Conference 55 Right of Return Conference 57 December 2008 Gaza War 59 Planning and Conferences (2009) 61 January 2009- Gaza War Reaction Continues 61 February - The “Jihad” Conference 65 World Popular Conference for the Support of Palestine 67 International Symposium on Palestine 69 June - September 71 October -December- IHH in the Spotlight 73 2010 - The Gaza Flotilla 75 January-March 75 April - The Formal Announcement 77 May - The Flotilla Launch 78 Post Flotilla - Turkish/MB Network Reactions 81 Post Flotilla - Kuwait 85 Post-Flotilla - IUMS/Qaradawi 90 REFERENCES 97 GLOSSARY Global Muslim Brotherhood (GMB) – The global network of individuals and organizations that developed as Muslim Brotherhood members dispersed to other countries while fleeing the periodic crackdowns on the organization in Egypt. Turkish Muslim Brotherhood Network (Turkish/MB Network) – The network of Turkish NGOs identified in this report which are allied with the Global Muslim Brotherhood. Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP) – The Turkish Islamist ruling political party led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Humanitarian Relief Foundation (İnsan Hak ve Hürriyetleri ve İnsani Yardım Vakfı, IHH) – A Turkish Islamic NGO active in various disaster and conflict zones around the world and part of the Turkish/MB network. Organization of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed People (MAZLUMDER) – Turkish Human Rights NGO and part of the Turkish/MB network. Müstakil Sanayici ve İşadamları Derneği (MUSIAD) – Turkish Islamist businessman’s organization and part of the Turkish/MB network. Türkiye Gönüllü Teşekkülleri Vakfı (TGTV) – An umbrella group founded to foster ties amongst Islamist NGOs in Turkey and part of the Turkish/MB network. The Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (UNIW) – Founded by TGTV to coordinate Islamist NGOs on a global level and part of the Turkish/MB network. Filistin Dayanışma Derneği (FIDDER) – Turkish Palestinian advocacy group and part of the Turkish/MB network. Hikmet Bilim Dostluk ve Yardımlaşma Derneği (HIKMET) – Turkish member organization of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE) Federation of Islamic Organizations In Europe (FIOE) – Umbrella group for the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe. International Solidarity Movement (ISM) – Palestinian advocacy group comprised of Western citizens known for sponsoring protests in the Palestinian territories. 5 Free Gaza Movement (FGM) – Western group that co-sponsored the flotilla and which emerged from the ISM. World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) – Saudi religious youth organization close to the Global Muslim Brotherhood International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) – Organization comprised of Muslim scholars headed by Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi Harakat al-Muqāwamat al-Islāmiyyah (Hamas) – Palestinian terror group that emerged from the Muslim Brotherhood. 6 CONCLUSIONS 1. The Gaza Flotilla Was Supported by the Turkish Government There is strong evidence for Turkish governmental involvement in the Gaza flotilla incident, including the office of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. As this report demonstrates, Turkish government support for the flotilla was channeled through the Turkish Muslim Brotherhood network. It included the attendance of officials from Turkey’s ruling AKP party at many important Turkish/MB network events in support of the flotilla, a meeting by Erdogan himself with a delegation of Global Muslim Brotherhood and flotilla movement leaders from Britain and France shortly before the flotilla, and a message of support from Erdogan to an IUMS meeting held shortly after the flotilla incident. In addition, in a March 2010 speech, IHH leader Bulent Yildirim implied that the flotilla had official Turkish backing by incorrectly asserting that the flotilla as a whole was “sailing under the Turkish flag” and that Israel would never attack it since that would be ”the same as attacking a Turkish consulate.” Turkish government administrators facilitated the purchase of the lead ship, the Mavi Marmara, from the Istanbul municipality, which was controlled by the AKP, as well as its departure from Turkish ports.1 The Israeli Intelligence and Information Center has also reported the finding of a laptop computer aboard the Marmara containing the minutes of a meeting held by the flotilla organizers on May 16, 2010. The laptop document reportedly revealed claims by the IHH Vice-President, who chaired the meeting, that over the last few days the flotilla had received support from Erdogan and other ministers and that if the flotilla should run into difficulties, “gov[ernment] will extend what support they can.” The support given by the Turkish government to the Gaza flotilla is not surprising, given the increasingly Islamist nature of AKP foreign and domestic policy in recent years. Recently disclosed U.S. State Department cables reveal concern over Turkey’s “new, highly activist foreign policy” ascribed in part to the influence of Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, said to be laboring under “neo-Ottoman fantasies” of regaining lost Muslim lands and avenging Muslim defeats. Like the Muslim Brotherhood, which envisions a restoration of Islamic rule, at an initial stage, in parts of Europe that were once under the banner of Islam, a participant at an AKP think tank meeting expressed the reportedly widespread belief that a neo-Ottoman Turkey would want to “take back Andalusia and avenge the defeat at the siege of Vienna in 1683.” The same cable also asserts that many in the AKP believe that it is Turkey’s role to spread Islam in Europe. The recently disclosed U.S. diplomatic material provides a context for understanding Erdogan’s ideological ties to the Global Muslim Brotherhood network, ties which this 7 report has documented date back to Erdogan’s affiliation in the 1970s with the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), a Saudi Wahhabi charity with known connections to extremist and terrorist groups. It should further be noted that the Gaza flotilla was also supported by leaders of the Grand Union and Saadet parties who participated in Turkish/MB network events. State Department cables expressed the view that Erdogan was trying to avoid being “outflanked” on Israel by politicians from these other Islamist parties, providing additional insight into his support of the flotilla. It should also be noted that a personal representative of Erdogan was reported to have intervened with Egyptian authorities during the December 2009 Viva Palestina land convoy, which also included five AKP deputies and 200 Turkish citizens. In another speech during a convoy welcoming ceremony in the Syrian port city of Latakiyah, IHH leader Bulent Yildirim thanked both Bashar Assad and Erdogan for “their stances, the ongoing support to the Palestinian people and their efforts to end the siege on Gaza.” 2. IHH Was Not Acting Alone – The Role of the Global Muslim Brotherhood Network The Gaza flotilla incident brought
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