Turkey

Map & Basic Information

Area

780,576 square kilometers
Population

83,614,362 (2020, Turkish National Statistics Agency).
Capital

Ankara
Ethnicity

Turks and others (Kurds mainly in the southeast, Armenians, Greeks, Jews, etc.)
Language

Turkish (official language)
Religion

Mostly Muslim (Sunni, and a few Alawites) and others including Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox and Jews.

Source:Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

Issues to be addressed

Turkey is hosting more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees^* who have fled from the civil war since 2011, and the majority are living not in refugee camps but in urban areas. Many of them are unable to access public services due to a lack of sufficient information, and it is also difficult for them to find a job that ensures a stable income. Frictions between refugees and host communities are often observed.

※https://www.unhcr.org/jp/global_trends_2019

Activities

Support to enable them to implement
activities by themselves

The scene of an event for children held by a local organization.

We provide capacity-building training in areas such as organizational management and administrative tasks to empower local organizations to independently carry out refugee support activities, including refugee protection and individual assistance.

Support for Turkey Earthquake Victims

Victims are living in tents at unofficial sites.

Food and daily necessities were distributed to victims who were living in evacuation shelters due to the major earthquake that occurred in February 2023. In addition, we installed heat-, cold-, and waterproof sheets and sawdust in the containers and tents where the victims were residing to improve their living environment.

Major Activities in Past

2017 - 2020

Establishment of a child
friendly space

We operated a facility where children can play and grow safely, and at the same time, Syrian refugees and Turkish locals can socialize with each other.
2012 - 2013

Support project for children
with disabilities

We provided walking aids and learning materials to a special education rehabilitation center to help promote rehabilitation for children with disabilities and facilitate their social participation.
2011 - 2012

Emergency support for East Turkey Earthquake

Upon an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 in the eastern part of Turkey on 23 October 2011, we dispatched an emergency relief team to distribute food and daily necessities.