Another practice for children to benefit from free and quality
education is the distribution of all schoolbooks free of charge.
In addition, ad hoc education assistance is provided to cover
transportation, stationary etc. needs of the children of poor
families at the age of primary or secondary school.
An Elementary School Remedial Education Programme is
implemented for primary school students who lag peers in
academic achievement, basic literacy and numeracy skills
for various reasons. An Adaptation to Secondary Education
Programme is also underway to curb absence and dropout
tendencies of students at higher grades of secondary
education.
Steps have been taken to facilitate access of children with
special education needs to special rehabilitation and education
services. Government provides such services free of charge,
and also covers the meal and transportation costs of such
children receiving education and rehabilitation services
provided in private educational institutions.
Access to higher education: Education scholarships
and loans are provided for young people who continue
university education considering their economic situation,
and dormitories are provided for their accommodation.
Dormitories provide quality living conditions, free internet,
meal etc. services. Cultural and sportive training is also
provided to dorm residents.
Care services for disadvantaged children: Services for the
protection, care and education of children are provided in
accordance with the principles of “best interest of the child”
and “family care, by own family in priority”. To ensure that
they can live with their children the Social and Economic
Support Service (SED) is provided only to families who cannot
take care of their children for economic reasons, to ensure
that they can live with their children. Under SED, the amount
of assistance to families varies by age and educational level of
the child. In addition, the School Support Project was launched
in 2017 to raise awareness on the development and needs of
children of these families, increase their participation in social
life and provide children with means and opportunities for
social, cultural, artistic and sportive activities. Syrian children
under temporary protection and foreign children under
international protection may also benefit from SED.
For children who cannot stay with their own family, services
of institutional care, foster family and adoption are provided.
In the context of institutional care, children who cannot stay
with their own families or with other families benefit from care
services under state protection. These children live in Child
Homes and Child Home Complexes which are home-style care
institutions as models most approximating a family life, and
benefit from equal educational opportunities as from early
childhood like other children. Various mentorship services are
offered to the resident children until they complete university
education or reach the age of majority to provide support in
relation to risks and problems that they may face after leaving
the institution. In addition, these children are also accorded
the right to be employed in public institutions.
While the primary objective is to protect all children against
situations that might endanger their physical, mental, moral,
social and emotional development and personal safety, such
services as institutional care, psycho-social support and
economic support are provided to children who have been
neglected, abused or are victims of crime, as well as to their
families. Children driven to crime, victims of crime, living on
the street, abusing substance and unaccompanied foreign
children benefit from services provided in specialised child
support centres.
Combating child labour: Prevention of child labour, including
worst forms, was set as a national goal, and the National
Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour entered into
force in 2018. Further, 2018 was declared as the “Year against
Child Labour” demonstrating our country’s commitment to the
purpose; and it was decided to establish units to fight child
labour in all provinces across the country. Work was started
to protect the children forced to work or beg on streets, and
to ensure fast public intervention in such cases. To that end,
mobile teams of police and social workers were formed across
Turkey and many children were returned to education.
The project on the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child
Labour in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in
Turkey, piloted in three provinces is an example of the work
to eliminate child labour. The children of seasonal agriculture
working families are encouraged to attend school where their
families migrate, programmes are being implemented to
reduce school dropout rates and increase academic success
and improve their social skills of the children. Children are
provided healthcare services as well. Academic achievements
and social-cognitive development of children are supported
through summer schools and day-care centres, art and sports
activities undertaken in public areas. The project is scheduled
to continue till the 2020 end.
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TURKEY’s 2nd VNR 2019
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
“Strong Ground towards Common Goals”
Participation of young people in social life: A total of 292
youth centres engage in cultural, sportive and artistic activities
across the country to increase the participation of young
people in social life and contribute to the development of life
skills. These centres provide spaces for the integration of
children and young people from different socio-economic and
cultural backgrounds. On the other hand, camping activities
are organised at certain times of the year with different
themes for all children and young people including sportive,
cultural and social activities. Separate camps are organised
for disadvantaged or gifted young people and for the ones
under temporary or international protection in our country. All
services at youth centres and camps are free of charge.
A Young Volunteers Platform was founded to increase
participation of young people in voluntary activities,
disseminate the culture of volunteering and serve as a bridge
between volunteers and organisations seeking volunteers.
Operating on the basis of membership, the platform brings
together volunteers and institutions looking for volunteers at
www.gencgonulluler.gov.tr.
4.3. POLICIES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND ELDERLY
Participation of the elderly in social life: Care models based
on the idea of “active ageing” and aiming to enable the elderly
to live a happy life in interaction with the social environment
have been developed and more public resources have been
allocated accordingly over the years.
Under the Elderly Support Programme (YADES) launched in
2016, funds are transferred from the central budget to local
governments for projects undertaken for the care of the
elderly who need psycho-social support either at their own
spaces or day centres.
Social assistance to persons with disabilities and elderly:
Most regular and long-standing support for the persons with
disabilities and the elderly in Turkey is the monthly cash
assistance implemented since 1976 based on the income
criteria and not registered with any social security institution.
Health insurance premiums and healthcare expenses of these
individuals are also covered by the state. In addition to the
elderly, poor families having an individual with at least 50%
or more severe disability are provided home care assistance.
Public aids for persons with disabilities are also augmented
by voluntary activities. In this context, Solidarity Association
for the Physically Disabled has provided approximately 35,000
wheelchairs to the persons with disabilities since 1993.
Care services for persons with disabilities and elderly:
The number of nursing homes affiliated with the Ministry of
Family, Labour and Social Services increased to 146 in 2018
from 132 in 2015, with a resident population of 13,883 elderly
people. In addition, home care and day-care services offered
by public, private and NGO facilities support the care of elderly
in family environment. As of 2018, there were 104 public care
centres for persons with disabilities for providing care and
rehabilitation services; and any person with disabilities who
files a request may benefit from such service without waiting.
Employment of persons with disabilities: Under the
Programme of Quota for Persons with disabilities in Public
Institutions to promote their participation in the labour market,
the number of civil servants which stood at 5,777 in 2002
increased to 53,017 as of 2018.
In line with the “Accessible Workplaces for All” strategy,
such special measures as quota/punishment method,
assisted employment, subsidised employment and sheltered
employment are used to integrate persons with disabilities
into working life. Under the quota rule, private sector
employers who employ 50 or more workers are obliged to
recruit 3% persons with disabilities, and public sector 4%.
For every person with disabilities who is employed under
the quota, all social security premiums are covered from
public funds. Under subsidised employment, on-the-job
training programmes are undertaken to enable persons with
disabilities to have career development in the same conditions
as all employees. The costs of transportation, subsistence
allowance and social security premiums of the trainees are
covered from public funds during the course.
As part of the “Sheltered Workplace Model” launched in
2013, workplaces employing at least eight persons with
disabilities and workplaces whose ratio of employees to the
total number of workers is not less than 75% may obtain
sheltered workplace status. In addition to wage, income tax
and premium support, employers who fall in this category
may receive grants for projects which they undertake for
the necessary workplace arrangements for employees with
disabilities.
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TURKEY’s 2nd VNR 2019
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
“Strong Ground towards Common Goals”
Activities for capacity development of persons with disabilities:
Various NGOs engage in activities of occupational skill-
building and training for persons with disabilities. To enable
visually impaired individuals to become self-sufficient and
integrate into the society, voluntary activities such as volunteer
trainers, volunteer assistants, office volunteers, audio book
reading, consultancy (law, psychology, etc.), event support and
organisation, sponsorship and donation services are delivered
in the Six Points Association of the Blind in cooperation with
public education centers in cities.
Necessary software and hardware are provided to ensure
that persons with disabilities have equal opportunities
in education and employment, and remove barriers in
information technologies. With the Third Hand Project, persons
with manual disabilities are encouraged to use all features of
tablet computers by the hardware provided. In this context,
accessibility devices and tablet computers are distributed in
80 provinces and works are continuing. In addition, the training
of trainers was delivered to those who would provide training
and support to persons with disabilities to use these devices.
4.4. POLICIES FOR REFUGEES UNDER TEMPORARY PROTECTION
Turkey has long been affected by migration and refugee
movements due to its location on main migration routes,
increasing political and economic problems in the
neighbouring countries and rising global trends of migration.
Turkey has opened its borders to a large number of Syrians
who started to flee Syria after 2011. Turkey has pursued a
humanitarian and inclusive open-door policy regardless of
religion, sect or ethnicity and admitted millions of Syrians
to the country under “temporary protection status”. Since
2015, Turkey has been the country hosting highest number of
refugees in the world. According to the current data, there are
approximately 4 million people under international protection
in our country, 3.6 million of whom are Syrians.
Turkey has responded effectively and rapidly to the Syrian
humanitarian crisis and prevented possible large-scale
humanitarian tragedies by developing timely and accurate
policies. At the beginning of the crisis, such urgent needs as
accommodation, nutrition, healthcare and social assistance
of the Syrians who migrated to our country in mass numbers
were met in a short time in cooperation with the relevant
international organisations where necessary. Due to the fact
that the number of people who migrated was much higher than
expected, Temporary Accommodation Centres (TACs) simply
did not have adequate capacity to accommodate all, therefore
most people settled in cities.
Accommodation and nutrition needs of Syrians under
temporary protection in our country were addressed
primarily; then, identification and registration procedures
were completed in a short time. This population was required
to register to benefit from public services in a wider context,
such as social assistance, healthcare and education. In this
way, migration management has become more systematic and
orderly. Temporary protection identity cards were issued to
these individuals.
As a result of the prolonged crisis in Syria and an increase
in the tendency of immigrant population to stay for a longer
period, necessary measures were taken for adapting migrants
to economic and social life in Turkey.
The size of the Syrian population living in TACs which
constituted the majority of the immigrants at first decreased
over time and the size of the urban immigrant population has
increased. Rental aid for accommodation in the framework
of internationally recognised criteria was provided to those
moving to cities after leaving TACs, to assist their livelihood.
The size of Syrian population living in TACs was around
250,000 in 2016, and decreased to 116,000 as of May 2019.
The Law on Foreigners and International Protection entered
into force in 2013 with the aim of effective and coordinated
implementation of migration management. This Law lays down
the procedures and principles regarding the entry, stay and
exit of foreigners in Turkey and the protection to be provided to
foreigners requesting protection from Turkey. In addition, the
General Directorate of Migration Management was established
within the Ministry of Interior to undertake the activities and
procedures related to foreigners.
In addition, the Migration Board was established in 2013
to determine migration policies and strategies, monitor
implementation, identify methods and measures to be
implemented in case of a mass influx, lay down procedures
and principles related to the foreigners to be admitted in mass
to Turkey and regarding their entry and stay in the country.
Turkey, instead of creating a separate public service area for
the population under temporary or international protection,
developed a comprehensive and holistic strategy based on
the approach that they could benefit from the current public
services along with Turkish citizens.
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TURKEY’s 2nd VNR 2019
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
“Strong Ground towards Common Goals”