Turkey, February 23, 2010 (Pal Telegraph)- The Turkey-based Humanitarian Aid Foundation (İHH) has announced that a fleet of 20 ships, five of which will belong to the İHH, will be sent to break Israel's embargo on Hamas-run Gaza two months from now.

According to a report on its Web site, the İHH is seeking the support of charitable businessmen in Turkey to fund the purchase of the ships.

The İHH was founded in 1992 to provide humanitarian aid to Bosnia and later extended its reach to "deliver foodstuff, clothes and tents to crisis regions hit by wars, conflicts and natural disasters to meet urgent needs of victims."

However, it has now added political intervention to its agenda, vowing that its "aid ships will continue to head for Gaza until the Israeli embargo is lifted." The cargo ships are to carry "Israeli-embargoed building materials, generators, medication, medical equipment and educational materials." In addition, passenger ships accompanying the cargo ships are scheduled to carry "journalists, human rights advocates, activists and lawmakers from various countries."

Other reports of planned "humanitarian" fleets headed for Gaza have been publicized recently. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was said to be planning to join one of them, along with anti-apartheid activists from South Africa. The ships are reportedly planning to set sail for Gaza in March, in a convoy initiated by Islamic scholar and broadcaster Muhammad Sualha, who is currently in Britain.

In late 2008, the "Free Gaza" movement sent a ship toward Gaza, with former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney aboard. Israel declared the coastal area a "closed military zone," but when the boat continued toward Gaza and tried to outmaneuver an Israeli navy patrol boat, a collision ensued, and the ship ultimately set sail for Lebanon after taking on water.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) will establish natural disaster coordination and logistics centers in Palestine and Georgia.

Tekin Küçükali, general director of Kızılay, said on Saturday that the natural disaster coordination and logistics centers will be established for immediate response to extraordinary situations in these countries. "We have a registered piece of land of 900 square meters in Palestine and will establish our center there. The infrastructure in Gaza is being rebuilt under coordinated efforts," he said.