Turkey helps Turkic reindeer herders in Mongolia

By Tugrul Cam

TSAGANUR, Mongolia (AA) - Turkey’s state-run aid agency announced on Wednesday it had distributed aid among hundreds of Duhka Turks in northern Mongolia.

In a statement, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) said packages containing various food items including flour and rice were delivered to families in the forestland near the Russian border.

It took one and a half days to deliver the nearly 10 tons of food over 400 kilometers riddled with thick forests and steep slopes.

TIKA has facilitated several aid projects to the Dukha, whose language and culture are under risk of disappearing with their numbers dwindling to only 800 in Mongolia.

The agency delivered humanitarian aid to 50 rural households providing them 20 brood reindeer which constitute their main livelihood.

TIKA also oversees projects to improve educational opportunities for the local people. One example is the district school in Tsaganur which was renovated for its nearly 500 students and 58 staff.

A festival will be organized in the Tsaganur district on Aug. 16-17 to celebrate the rise in reindeer numbers, which is expected to exceed 2000 by the summer. TIKA will help organize the festival and provide 330 sets of traditional Dukha clothing.

Established in 1992, Turkey's state-run aid agency is responsible for implementing the country's developmental cooperation policies overseas.