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, 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 stable incomes. Frictions between refugees and host communities are often observed.

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

Activities

Tailor-made support for each

A Syrian refugee woman in a wheelchair provided by AAR.

We help refugees who need special assistance, such as children and people with disabilities, to receive public services such as medical care, education, and legal procedures. In addition, AAR directly provides rehabilitation, wheelchairs, and other assistive devices that the government does not fully implement.

Building mutually-supportive
community for refugees

Refugees share with each other challenges in their daily lives and work together to find solutions that can be implemented in the community.

We have been supporting community building so that refugees can live together and support each other in the community. Currently, we prioritize people with disabilities and provide group activities and events in which they can participate.

Enabling people to carry out activities
on their

Local volunteers learning about public services available to refugees

We support local organizations and volunteers to implement refugee protection, individual assistance, and support for people with disabilities on their own. We train them to provide community-based protection and referrals to specialized agencies.

Major Activities in Past

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.
2012 - 2013

Support project for children
with disabilities

We provided walking aids and learning materials to a special education rehabilitation center to help promoting rehabilitation for children with disabilities and to facilitate their social participation.
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 each other.