Canada revokes charity status of organization for alleged support to PKK-linked groups
Canada, like its neighbor the United States, considers the PKK a “terrorist group” for its ongoing rebellion against the Turkish government for broader Kurdish rights.
Among other things, the CRA alleged that the Anatolia Cultural Foundation “did not maintain and provide books and records,” and did not file its donation receipts accordingly.
“For all these reasons, and for each reason alone, it is the position of the CRA that the Organization no longer meets the requirements necessary for charitable registration.”
The president of Anatolia Cultural Foundation, Ilhan Ulutas, denied all allegations and said the charity group would appeal the CRA decision, Global News reported.
According to a mission statement on its website, the Anatolia Cultural Foundation “is a non-profit organization dedicated to making real, meaningful differences in communities.”
The charity group was founded in 2011 and had been a government-registered charity since then before its status was revoked.
Most of its primary projects involve the northeastern region of Syria, in particular, Kobani and Afrin.