South Korean envoy donates $1M for school construction

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - The South Korean ambassador to Turkey donated $1 million for the construction and furnishing of a school in Harran district of southeastern Sanliurfa province, near the Syrian border.

Ambassador Choi Hong-ghi and Serafettin Turan, provincial head of the national education directorate, signed a protocol for the construction of a school with 24 classrooms, which would prioritize Syrian children, the provincial governor office said on Wednesday.

Hong-ghi said that he came to Sanliurfa to sign a protocol to support the Syrians, adding that he wishes for further cooperation between the two countries.

Abdullah Erin, the governor of Sanliurfa, said that over 22,000 Syrians live in Harran district of which 6,000 are school-age children.

"This school will contribute to the education of our children under better conditions," he said in a statement.

Erin thanked the ambassador as well as the Korean people, adding that Turkey and North Korea are two "friendly and brotherly" countries, with historical ties.

He also underlined that Sanliurfa hosts around 150,000 Syrian children of school-age.

Koreans have also supported Syrians in the construction of a health center for refugees in Akcakale district of Sanliurfa.