ANTALYA, Turkey
The head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kinik, was elected vice president responsible for European region of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in the Mediterranean city of Antalya on Monday.
Kinik was elected to a four-year term by 116 votes out of 189, while the other candidate, Germany’s Volkmar Schon, got 60 votes.
He will be responsible for 53 countries in the European zone.
"This honor is an honor for us all. It is the honor of our honorific general President Recep Tayyip Erdogan," Kinik told a press conference announcing the election results.
"The Turkish Red Crescent started down a new path together with new solution proposals for humanity," he said.
Kinik stated that this year’s general assembly had the highest participation in the federation’s history.
"There’s a lot of work to be done in the new term of the federation,” he added.
Turkey was “already working in the 'geography of our heart,' and from now on a new platform opened for us.
In this sense we will also carry Turkey’s and the Turkish Red Crescent’s approaches to Europe. We will do our best to strengthen this movement and prevent human suffering," he added.
Rocca takes group's helm
Nearly 1,500 ambassadors from 189 countries voted for a new IFRC president as well as four vice presidents and board members, who will serve the organization for the next four years.
Outgoing IFRC head Tadateru Konoe was succeeded by Italy's Francesco Rocca, who won with 98 votes, besting candidates from Norway, Jordan, and Sweden.
Rocca joined the Italian Red Cross in 2008, and was elected its vice president for Europe in 2013.
At a press conference, Rocca lauded the meeting in Antalya, calling it a success for the Turkish Red Crescent and its staff.
He said the assembly had the highest participation in the federation’s history.
Rocca paid tribute to the courage and dedication of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers around the world, and vowed to focus on ensuring they have greater support.
''We owe it to them to change and to strengthen our capacity,” he said.
“One of the first things I will focus on is addressing any integrity issues within our network.
We owe it to our volunteers who risk their lives every day. We owe it to the communities who look to us for support, when no one else can help.
And we owe it to the people around the world who look to the Red Cross and Red Crescent as signs of hope.”
He added: ''Elections come at a critical juncture for the IFRC and the wider humanitarian community.
Aid organizations are responding to a range of complex and global challenges, and are struggling to respond to rising needs while balancing increasingly constrained budgets.''
Changing of the guard
Senegal’s Abdoul Azize Diallo, running unopposed, was elected vice president responsible for the African continent.
Venezuela’s Miguel Angel Villarroel Sierraalta was elected vice president responsible for the Americas.
Mexico’s Fernando Suinaga Cárdenas had also sought the post.
The Asia Pacific Region vice presidency was won by Chen Zhu of China, who bested Iran's Seyed Amir Mohsen Ziaie Esterabadi.
The federation, which was established in 1919 in Paris, has 190 members.
Its objective is to inspire, encourage, facilitate and promote all forms of humanitarian activities by national societies to prevent human suffering, and promote human dignity and peace worldwide.
Turkey’s Red Crescent has been a governing board member of federation since 2005. Turkey joined the International Red Cross-Red Crescent Movement in 1868.
The IFRC’s highest decision-making body is its General Assembly, which convenes every two years and holds elections every four years, and defines its humanitarian aid policies to be realized in subsequent sessions with the participation of national societies of its member countries.
The General Assembly of the seven-day long IFRC global statutory meetings began on Sunday.
