Turkish Embassy in Seoul declines used goods and warns of fake news

The Turkish Embassy in Seoul is asking Koreans not to donate used goods, and are warning against fake news about donations.

The embassy announced Sunday that it would not be accepting any used materials to send to Turkey, citing a lack of infrastructure at the goods' destination.

The earthquake has destroyed public health infrastructure, leaving the Turkish authorities in affected regions unable to sterilize the donated goods before they are distributed.

Following the decision by the embassy, volunteer workers are sorting through the donated goods. They have found that about 10 percent of the nearly 40 tons of goods are unsuitable to be sent to Turkey.

The embassy also warned against fake donation requests for Turkey and fake news.

In a statement, the embassy urged Koreans to make donations through reputable organizations, and that social media posts linking the embassy to a group of businesspeople in collaborative fund-raising campaign were false.

It also denied the rumor that the donated goods being sent to Turkey are being dumped and burned before reaching the people in need because of the collapse of the logistics system.

“Turkey still needs 300,000 winter tents,” said the Turkish ambassador said in a media interview Sunday, asking for more material aid for the people stuck in the aftermath of the earthquake.