Syrian Refugees: Turkey Needs Other Nations' Help
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Turkey's Directorate General of Press and Information says Turkey needs the participation of more nations in its endeavor to help Syrian refugees who are seeking shelter in the country.
Its director general Mehmet Akarca said Turkey had been generously contributing to shelter the Syrian refugees, spending up to US$25 billion (RM100.7 billion) in hosting 3.05 million of them at 23 Temporary Protection Centres (TPCs) and also outside the centres.
While the international community has contributed US$526 million (RM2.5 billion) to Turkey in assistance, the figure is grossly insufficient, Bernama News Agency reported.
"Syrian refugees are our brothers. We are doing our best to host them well. However, Turkey should not be shouldering this burden alone," he told Bernama after a briefing to international media about the Syrian refugee situation in Turkey, recently.
Turkey has also set a new benchmark in providing shelter to refugees. Instead of canvas tents, refugees now live in containers with solar powered electricity and water at TPCs.
Turkey Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (Afad), the agency that handles the refugees, reported that the government had been spending US$5 billion (RM21 billion) annually for the refugees who lived in and outside the centres.
Afad president Mehmet Halis Bilden said 247,000 refugees at the TPCs were provided with health services, education services, social services and shelter while each family also received LT$ 500 (RM600) monthly.
The centres also provide schooling for 508,846 Syrian students and vocational training for 222,869 Syrian adults.
A Syrian refugee at Osmaniye TPC, Jamal Walee, 40, said he would want to stay and work in Turkey as the people had accepted him and his family with an open heart.
"My house was bombed, I do not want to return to Syria," said the father of four.
Another refugee, Abir Durmush, 42, said she wanted to stay at the centre and hoped her husband would find a job so that they could settle down in Turkey.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants the Turkish people to continue with their noble deeds in helping the Syrian refugees and set a good example to the world.
He commended the solidarity of the Turkish people in accepting their Syrian neighbors following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011.
"I thank you. You have a good heart for helping the refugees," he said in his speech at a special Iftar ceremony, here last night.