Page 94 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

The Ministry of Family and Social Policy (MSFP) has primary responsibility for
the psychosocial support services given to foreigners under temporary protection in
accordance with AFAD’s notice number 2014/4, “Implementation of Services for
Foreigners under Temporary Protection.” In order to closely monitor the immigration
problem and to carry out studies on disadvantaged groups including women, children,
disabled and elderly, the Department of Psychosocial Support in Migration, Disaster, and
Emergency Situations was established within the Ministry. The Ministry provides care,
rehabilitation, psychosocial support, social aid, and protective and preventive services to
Syrians. With the services provided, the aim is to develop Syrians’ coping mechanisms
to handle the current situation, to repair social networks between individuals and
families, and to create new networks.
In this scope, psychosocial support services are provided by MFSP’s psychosocial support
bureau, unit, or provincial directorates in 26 temporary accommodation centers (TACs)
located in Hatay, Kilis, Gaziantep, Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa, Adıyaman, Adana, Malatya
and Mardin provinces. Psychosocial support services were provided to approximately
120,000 people between the years 2014 and 2016, and about 19,000 people through
July 2017 through psychosocial support units at 26 TACs in 10 provinces. In addition,
in order to improve the capacity of the psychosocial support services provided by the
Ministry, instructions have been given to the provinces to establish psychosocial support
bureaus or units outside TACs in provinces with Syrian populations of 70,000 and
above as well as in provinces that have TACs, and instructions have been given to the
other provinces to determine their provincial deputy managers.

29 interpreters are employed in 11 provinces through UNHCR to solve the language
barrier faced in the provinces where most Syrians live. Additionally, AFAD and
UNHCR, with the cooperation of MFSP, provided training called “Legal Framework
and Support Mechanisms in the Scope of National and International Protection” to the
professionals and provincial deputy managers who provide services to Syrians under
temporary protection in the provincial organizations of MFSP within the scope of the
“Provision of Protection and Basic Services for the Syrians Living Outside the Camps
in Türkiye Project”.

In addition to the activities carried out by MFSP, the Turkish Red Crescent Society
Center Project was brought to life in January 2015 with a budget of 27,000,000,00
TL within the scope of the Syrian Humanitarian Aid Operation in order to provide
psychosocial support, guidance, and educational services for Syrians under temporary
protection who live outside the temporary accommodation centers. Community Centers
are social service institutions established to serve protective, preventive, educative,

94 SYRIANS IN TÜRKİYE SPECIAL REPORT