Turkey's education push caters to 200,000 students in northern Syria

Five years after conducting Operation Euphrates Shield to neutralise terrorists in northern Syria, Turkey has built or re-opened at least 700 educational institutions in the region.

AA

It has been five years since Turkey started Operation Euphrates Shield to neutralise terrorists in northern Syria. The end of the military operation paved the way for restructuring and rebuilding the region's educational institutions. So far, Turkey has helped in building or re-opening nearly 700 schools, which cater to the people living in areas that have been liberated from the terrorist organization Daesh.

On the 5th anniversary of the operation, regional experts can safely say that the presence of the terror group has been almost erased in the region with Turkey's help.

As per local accounts, the quality of education has improved in the past few years. 

The abandoned schools in the region were renovated and new schools were built in the areas where such infrastructure was needed. In this context, around 200,000 students from kindergarten to secondary and high school levels attended the classes last year in approximately 700 schools supported by Turkey’s Ministry of National Education in the Euphrates Shield Operation region.

The curriculum determined by the Syrian Interim Government is being taught in schools where more than 8,500 teachers were employed in the academic year last year.

Turkey also facilitates higher education for the Syrians who live in the region once tried to be a terror corridor. Gaziantep University carries out higher education activities in northern Syria with the Presidential decree. In this direction, two faculties and one vocational school have been established in the Euphrates Shield Operation region within the university so far.

The units established were planned in line with the demands of the local councils and taking into account the education and training needs in the region.

Under the decision with the signature of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan published in the Turkish Official Gazette in February, Turkey has started activities for the establishment of a medical school and a vocational school of health services in the town of Cobanbey in the northern Syria.

The health personnel who will be trained in the medical faculty will contribute to the services provided to the people of the region.

Bera Molla, one of the civilians in Al Bab, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that pre-operation education institutions had been badly damaged during the civil war, "After the Euphrates Shield Operation, the schools in the region were repaired and made ready for education. The quality of education increased with the support provided." he said.

Emphasizing that the children who have been away from education are back on their school desks, Molla thanked everyone who contributed.

Ammar Kalef, one of the civilians of the Al Bab, pointed out that the educational activities in the schools stopped during the occupation period of Daesh before the liberation operation.

"The schools in the district were used by terrorist organizations for different purposes. After the successful conclusion of the operation, the damaged schools were renovated and reopened," Kalef stated.

Together with schools, Turkey also built hospitals to ensure health services for the locals.

In this context, five hospitals with 200 beds each in Cobanbey town and Azez and Al Bab districts located on Syrian territory across Kilis and Gaziantep provinces, and 75 beds in Mare town and Jarablus districts provide health services to the people of the region.

An oral and dental health centre with 10 units also operates in Jarablus.

Since August 24, 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terrorist operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable peaceful settlement of locals: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).

On the first day of the operation of Euphrates Shield, the Jarablus district centre located on Syrian territory opposite the Karkamis district of Gaziantep, and Al Bab district center on February 23, 2017 were liberated from Daesh.

With the operation, settlements spread over an area of 2 thousand 55 square kilometers were cleared of terrorism in 217 days. 

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