There are still echoes of the association named Donate to Orphans in Van, receiving earthquake aid from Van Atatürk High School and delivering it with the vehicles of İpekyolu Municipality.

In the images shared by this ISIS-linked association, two women with a full-faced veil (as used by Islamic State women) made a press statement in front of trucks belonging to the İpekyolu Municipality.

Following the publication of these images on social media, Eğitim-Sen (Education Trade Union) Van Branch filed a criminal complaint against İpekyolu District Governor and the city’s trustee İhsan Emre Aydın.

In the criminal complaint, Eğitim-Sen wrote that the association in question did not have an official record and that its members were working in secret. The trade union said that the organization made propaganda for itself in front of the aid trucks and added that, “as can be seen by the clothes the two women are wearing, this is an association founded by those who defend radical Islamic views. The fact that the clothes these people wore were exactly the same as the clothes worn by the female militants of the ISIS terrorist organization alone caused serious public concerns. The fact that the trustee of the İpekyolu Municipality allowed such propaganda and a show of power caused anger and anxiety in the public. There is no protocol between İpekyolu Municipality and the association named Donate for Orphans.”

The criminal complaint said that “there are deep concerns that there may have been discrimination based on religion, language, race and sect in the delivery of the aid to earthquake victims. As a result, we believe that the actions of İpekyolu Municipality and İpekyolu District Governorship personnel carry the elements of the crime of abuse of power. We demand that an investigation and lawsuit be opened.”