UNICEF opens school with Turkish partners

By Ibrahim Arikan

ADANA, Turkey (AA) - The United Nations children’s fund (UNICEF) and Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) opened a new school in the southern province of Adana on Wednesday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Adana governor Mahmut Demirtas said around 600 Turkish and Syrian students would be educated at the 32-classroom secondary school.

According to Demirtas, there are around 300,000 Syrian refugees in Adana alone and 53,000 are children aged between five and 17.

Turkish Deputy Education Minister Orhan Erdem said around 500,000 Syrian children were being educated in Turkey.

U.S. ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley -- who met Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Tuesday night to discuss the Syrian refugee crisis -- was also at the opening ceremony in Adana.

Haley said support for Syrian people should continue and said she was looking forward to realizing other projects with Turkish partners.

U.S. ambassador to Turkey John Bass was also present.

AFAD President Mehmet Halis Bilden said there were around 300,000 children still waiting for education opportunities in Turkey.

When war erupted six years ago, millions of Syrians were internally displaced or fled to neighboring states to escape the fighting. Turkey’s government figures show it hosts nearly three million refugees from the conflict.