Last month western Georgia was victim to floods caused by massive rainfall. An international call to aid was raised, and duly answered by the Turkish Red Crescent. The Turks sent “two tractor trailers filled with 17.6 tons of food, enough for 800 families, and 10 crates of water purification tablets.”

Although I am familiar with the Red Crescent movement I am unsure as to how they interact with local governments. I understand that they must maintain autonomy in regards to its national government, but can a national governement persuade a Red Crescent/Red Cross society to direct their aid to a particular region? In other words, is this Turkey flexing aid muscles for the benefit of the EU, or just humanitarian coincidence?

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