The claim
Clothing donations to the earthquake zone in Turkey: Used clothing would not be accepted, only new items with price tags would be accepted.
Our conclusion
That is correct. The Turkish embassy already announced in a letter on February 10th that only “new and unused donations in kind” should be made.
The images are terrible; there are now reports of 48,000 deaths (as of February 22nd) after the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The Germans' willingness to help is still great. That's why one statement particularly surprises those willing to donate: used clothing, even if it is like new, will not be accepted by the donation points. What's behind it?
@rainboo_bremerhaven We accept donations in kind at the Kuaisu company. Under ramp 5 in Bremerhaven #bremerhaven #spenden #spendenaktion #earthquake #erdbeben #hatay #türkiye ♬ orijinal ses – M :((
___STEADY_PAYWALL___
The message from the Turkish Embassy
Just one day after the earthquake on February 6th, the Turkish Embassy in Berlin published a call for donations on its Facebook page, initially only in Turkish. On February 8th The version in German :
The earthquake area urgently needs relief supplies for overnight stays and heating, as well as flashlights, food, hygiene products and other donations in kind, as well as clothing for adults and children, from winter jackets to underwear. The appeal for donations already includes the following note: “For safe use by those in need, it is important that the donated supplies are unused and winter-proof.”
Unfortunately, this announcement was only distributed via social media; you will not find it Turkish Embassy Berlin and the Consulate General This also applies to the update that was released Turkish ) and February 10th (in German
The communication from February 10th now speaks of “new and unused donations in kind”. This text has not been changed since then.
Why only new products?
Many people willing to donate were upset by the statement that only new goods would be accepted. And right-wing circles are stirring up the mood by saying that it's best not to donate anything to such ungrateful people. There are very good reasons for only bringing new goods - especially clothing and hygiene products - into a disaster area: There simply is not the space and personnel capacity there to sort out the relief supplies yourself.
The SWR has already covered the topic in great detail: On the one hand, aid transports to the region are difficult, and on the other hand, customs are very picky. Before the trucks with the relief goods can set off, they must be registered with the Turkish Consulate General. All relief goods loaded must be precisely documented on an inventory list. The cargo and documents are then checked by customs. This seals the truck, which is then no longer allowed to be opened. This is often a loss-making business for shipping companies that take care of aid deliveries.
Bringing the donations in kind to Turkey would take around five to six days, explains Serkan Eren, founder of the international aid organization STELP from Stuttgart, in an interview with SWR:
Turkey itself is an economic power in the region. Many of the relief supplies needed can therefore be purchased directly in Turkey and then brought to the earthquake zone on the Syrian border. Transporting relief supplies from Germany is complicated, expensive and takes a long time. It doesn't make any sense at all if the donations in kind include "used underwear and dirty baby bodysuits", as Spedition Telci has already experienced in the Westerwald. If there is no capacity at the required location to sort the donations, then images like those that have been widely shared on TikTok are hardly surprising.
@gentabeautypalace That 's what happened to the donations ( ( boxes of clothes ) . #wegschmeissen #newsoftheday #fyp #fds ♬ Original sound – Genta_official
embassy donations in kind can be transported to Turkey “duty- and duty-free” as long as they are addressed to public institutions or non-profit organizations. However, for the reasons mentioned above, it is better to donate money to a trustworthy aid organization (look for the DZI seal ) or directly to the Turkish Presidential Board for Disasters and Emergency Management (AFAD), which has set up its own donation account in Germany:
Recipient: AFAD
IBAN: DE50512207002000452454
SWIFT/BIC: TCZBDEFFXXX
Ziraat Bank International AG Frankfurt
Conclusion: The claim is correct. The Turkish embassy already announced in a letter on February 10th that only “new and unused donations in kind” should be made. There are good reasons for this: transporting donations in kind is expensive, time-consuming and complicated. There is also a lack of capacity on site to sort used goods. So monetary donations are even better.

Sources: Turkish Embassy Berlin (on Facebook ), DZI , SWR , Merkur , STELP , TikTok
Cover photo: freepik
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