EU envoy to Turkey visits Syrian students in Istanbul

By Harun Polat

ISTANBUL (AA) - The head of the EU delegation to Turkey and the UN’s Children Fund representative in Turkey paid a visit to a temporary education center for Syrians in Istanbul on Wednesday.

Ambassador Christian Berger along with UNICEF's Philippe Duamelle visited an education center with 68 Syrian teachers and 1,270 Syrian students in the Sultanbeyli district.

Berger said: "It is important for all children to receive education, it is their right. Thus, it is important for them to receive education but also be happy. We can only do this with our partners. Our partners are UNICEF and the Turkish government. We also thank all other institutions."

UNICEF'S Duamelle also stressed the importance of education for the future of children.

Duamelle said: "They will rebuild their country in the future and this way the entire world will also benefit. Therefore, the international community must take action [...]."

Duamelle said the European Union greatly contributed for all refugee children to attend schools, and added that all should contribute in order not to lose a generation in Syria.

Turkish Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz previously said that there are more than 3.5 million Syrians under temporary protection in Turkey, adding over 970,000 of them are of age to go to school.

He noted that as of May 21, more than 660,000 Syrian students in Turkey were provided an education.

Enrollment in primary school is at 100 percent, 50 percent in secondary schools, and around 22 percent in high school, he added.