Report of Israeli Think-Tank on the Global Muslim Brotherhood

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TURKISH/MB NETWORK 1. MÜSIȦD (Business) The Müstakil Sanayici ve İşadamları Derneği (MÜSIȦD) was founded in 1990 by religiously-devout entrepreneurs with ties to Prime Minister Ozal or to the Islamist Necmettin Erbakan and as an alternative to TUSIAD, the organization representing the secular middle class. MÜSIȦD fused a pro-business philosophy with an Islamic critique <strong>of</strong> capitalism, seeking to replace it with a system based on Islam. MÜSIȦD is supported by Prime Minister Erdogan, is pro-Palestinian/anti-Israel, and has a strong relationship with the Middle East through its Foreign Relations division, at one time headed by Gazi Misirli, a Turk <strong>of</strong> Syrian origin who joined MÜSIȦD in 1998. Mr. Misirli came to Turkey in either 1983 or 1987 and studied engineering at Istanbul University. He is a Trustee <strong>of</strong> the Europe Trust, an arm <strong>of</strong> the Federation <strong>of</strong> Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE), which has amassed a real-estate portfolio and uses part <strong>of</strong> the income to fund FIOE projects. All <strong>of</strong> the Trustees, including Ibrahim El-Zayat, are leaders in the European Muslim Brotherhood. Mr. Misirli appears to have close ties to Prime Minister Erdogan. 2. IHH (Charity) The İnsan Hak ve Hürriyetleri ve İnsani Yardım Vakfı (known as IHH) was founded in 1995 by individuals operating amidst the Balkans conflict. The organization had shown ties to the Global Muslim Brotherhood as early as 1998 when police discovered links to a Muslim Brotherhood student organization as well as to the now defunct Islamist Refah party, and IHH also had received funds from a foundation headed by a US Muslim Brotherhood leader. IHH expanded its work to global disaster zones, and by 2002 was showing increasing politicization, such as fomenting anti-Western sentiment in the run-up to the 2003 Iraq War and orchestrating protests over Gaza in 2004. IHH is funded by “religious business men”, a likely reference to MÜSIȦD, and is reported to be a member <strong>of</strong> the Union <strong>of</strong> Good. Many <strong>of</strong> the IHH Trustees have ties to the AKP, and its leader Bulent Yildirim is an attorney who also studied at Istanbul University. 3. MAZLUMDER (Legal) MAZLUMDER was founded in 1991 as an alternative to the existing human rights organization, one that would be sensitive to the issue <strong>of</strong> the Islamic headscarf. The organization has branches all over Turkey and says it is associated with Islamist organizations tied to Hamas/Muslim Brotherhood, Iran, and the Jamaat-e-Islami <strong>of</strong> Pakistan. MAZLUMDER also showed early signs <strong>of</strong> politicization, holding anti-US demonstrations during the Iraq war and joining IHH to protest a 2004 NATO summit. In 2005, MAZLUMDER began focusing on anti-<strong>Israeli</strong> rhetoric and since 2006 has been headed by Ahmet Unsal, a former Lockheed engineer and Amnesty International board member. Mr. Unsal served as an AKP Member <strong>of</strong> Parliament from 2002 to 2007 and was the representative <strong>of</strong> Turkey to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Currently, he is a member <strong>of</strong> the IHH board along with another MAZLUMDER board member who is also part <strong>of</strong> the AKP. Gazi Misirli is also a member <strong>of</strong> MAZLUMDER. 15
4. HIKMET (European Muslim Brotherhood) The Hikmet Bilim Dostluk ve Yardımlaşma Derneği (HIKMET) was founded in 2003 and is the Turkish member organization <strong>of</strong> the Federation <strong>of</strong> Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE). The organization is headed by Jemal Kerim, a Palestinian who has been living in Turkey for 29 years and holds a Turkish passport. Mr. Kerim studied electronics at Boğaziçi University and is currently the head <strong>of</strong> a Turkish tourism company that also ships goods to the Middle East. Along with Gazi Misirli, Mr. Kerim has been a leader in the MÜSIȦD Foreign Relations Commission 5. TGTV (Domestic Islamist Umbrella) The Türkiye Gönüllü Teşekkülleri Vakfı (TGTV) is an umbrella group founded in 1994 to foster ties amongst Islamist NGOs in Turkey. TGTV incorporates and cooperates with other members <strong>of</strong> the Turkish/MB network including IHH, MÜSIȦD, and FIDDER, and since 2006 has placed a growing emphasis on anti-Israel activities. 6. UNIW (Global Islamist Umbrella) The Union <strong>of</strong> NGOs <strong>of</strong> the Islamic World (UNIW) was founded in 2005 by TGTV to coordinate Islamist NGOs on a global level and includes many important organizations tied to the Global Muslim Brotherhood including the World Assembly <strong>of</strong> Muslim Youth (WAMY), the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), and the Muslim Brotherhoods <strong>of</strong> Bahrain, Algeria, and Israel. UNIW also includes IHH, MÜSIȦD, HIKMET, and FIDDER, discussed below. 7. FIDDER (Palestinian Support) The Filistin Dayanışma Derneği (FIDDER) describes itself as “ a group <strong>of</strong> Turkish citizens <strong>of</strong> Palestinian origin who believe in the just Palestine cause and in the Palestinians’ right to live in freedom and dignity and in their right to return to their homeland”. Tahsin Misirli, possibly a relative <strong>of</strong> Gazi Misirli, is the President <strong>of</strong> FIDDER. Mr. Misirli is the General Manager <strong>of</strong> a company known as TURKPAL and is also a member <strong>of</strong> the TGTV board <strong>of</strong> directors. DEMONIZING ISRAEL Conferences With the Hamas victory in the Palestinian elections in 2006 and the consolidation <strong>of</strong> the AKP regime’s control <strong>of</strong> Turkey under Prime Minister Erdogan, Istanbul became a center for Global Muslim Brotherhood political activity that included undertaking a worldwide effort to undermine the international standing <strong>of</strong> Israel. From 2006 until 16
Page 1 and 2: Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
Page 3 and 4: © 2011 Jerusalem Center for Public
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World Popular Conference for the Su
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he also thanked President Abdullah
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Palestinian media reported that on
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Israel deprives people of</
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Jerusalem Center Programs Iran and
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