Turkish president İsmet İnönü signed a decision to help the people whose army he had personally fought during the Turkish War of Independence 19 years prior. The people of Turkey thus became the first to lend a helping hand to Greece. Foodstuffs were collected by a nationwide campaign of Kızılay (Turkish Red Crescent) and the operation was mainly funded by the "American Greek War Relief Association" and the "Hellenic Union of Constantinopolitans". Food supplies were sent to the port of Istanbul to be shipped to Greece. SS "Kurtuluş" was prepared for her voyage with big symbols of the Red Crescent painted on both sides.