Page 118 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

Legal counseling services for refugees are provided at the Social Support and Education
Center (SODEM), which was opened in Ankara by the Women and Family Youth
Center affiliated with the Turkish Religious Foundation (TDV KAGEM). A faculty
member and two student interns from Yıldırım Beyazıt University provide the service
on specific days and hours each week for all refugees, particularly Syrians.

The Turkish Religious Foundation (TDV) and the Ministry of National Education
(MoNE) have published and sent 4 million school books to temporary education
centers located in 22 provinces. In addition, TDV KAGEM provides Turkish and
vocational training for Syrian asylum seekers at the Social Support and Education
Center in Ankara.

◊ Work Carried Out within the Scope of the Syrian Task Force:

Religious services are being provided by the Religious Affairs Foundation in areas in
Syria freed from terrorist organizations by Türkiye’s Operation Euphrates Shield to
facilitate the normalization of life. In this context, 4 muftis were appointed by the
Directorate of Religious Affairs as coordinators in the 4 liberated residential areas, with
each mufti conducting religious services in that territory and providing local muftis to
guide them.

The local muftis and parliament identified and trained the instructors of the Quran
course to provide religious instruction in mosques and in camps, including giving the
call to prayer and leading mosque prayers. 110 mosques damaged by the war in the
region were repaired and maintained, and repair, maintenance and refurbishment of 66
of these mosques were commenced in the beginning of 2017 Ramadan. Mosques and
Quran courses for the camps in the region were opened in tents and the necessary
personnel were assigned. Educational materials were prepared to protect the people of
the region from the influence of exploitative religious groups; these documents were
translated into Arabic, and 30,000 copies were printed in the first edition. Brochures
prepared in Arabic on youth, family and children were sent to the public via camps,
settlements, and mosques to raise awareness of the Directorate of Religious Affairs’
activities. Humanitarian aid activities such as food and clothing assistance, clothing
stores, emergency aid, and especially hot food are continuously carried out in the region.

◊ Humanitarian Aid Activities for Syria:

In-kind aid and financial aid collected in the “Let Humanity not Die in Aleppo”
campaign initiated by the Directorate of Religious Affairs provides the opportunity to
deliver critical services in the face of human tragedy in Syria.

118 SYRIANS IN TÜRKİYE SPECIAL REPORT