Turkish charity builds 600 homes for families in Syria

By Zehra Aydın Turapoglu

ANKARA (AA) - A Turkish foundation built 600 new houses for families in the Idlib region in northwestern Syria, the group announced on Monday.

Ihsan Acik, the Turkey Diyanet Foundation's (TDV) vice president, said the first phase of the foundation's Goodness Housing project was now complete.

The project had been initiated for families displaced amid the Syrian civil war trying to survive under difficult conditions in tents.

In his speech, Acik said the families received the keys to their new dwellings, adding that approximately 5,000 houses would be built for war victim families.

Acik pointed out that the families would now be able to live under more bearable conditions. "Life in tents is very difficult both in the Summer and Winter [...] Our donators and citizens showed great support for this project.

"With the support of our faithful nation, we've completed 600 houses in a short time. In the coming period, I hope there will be no families who have to live in tent complexes," he said.

The 28-square-meter (301 square feet) houses are made of reinforced concrete with the roofs built with concrete. They consist of two rooms, a bathroom, a toilet and kitchen, with completed infrastructure including plumbing and sewerage.

Acik added that the TDV was accepting individual donations for the construction of the dwellings -- each costing 6,000 Turkish liras ($762).

After the ceremony, he and the accompanying delegation visited the Iman-Zam Zam camps and Ammar ibn Yasir School orphan shelters.

* Writing by Yunus Girgin