Late Syrian-American student's charity project realized

A municipality in Istanbul realized the dream of Deah Barakat to reach out to Syrian children in need of dental treatment: Treating and examining of tens of thousands of children living in refugee camps in Turkey.

Barakat's project found significant support after his death at the hands of Craig Stephen Hicks in North Carolina in 2015. Barakat was planning to travel to Turkey with his fellow dentistry students when he, his wife and sister-in-law were shot dead on Feb. 10, 2015. He was part of a joint project being undertaken by his school and the Syrian-American Medical Society.

The Fatih Municipality in Istanbul wrapped up the project by offering dental treatment and examinations to refugees in 25 refugee camps across Turkey's 10 cities bordering Syria. Local charities and the Prime Ministry's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), which oversees refugee camps, supported the project, which reached out to 47,000 refugees.

Barakat's family, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş and other dignitaries attended an event marking the end of project on Saturday. Kurtulmuş told the audience that the project would not be last of its kind but it was meaningful "to bless the soul of Deah Barakat."

The deputy prime minister said Turkey "passed the test" in helping refugees while richer countries of the world have failed it. Shaza Barakat, aunt of Deah Barakat, said at the event that the family was grateful to Turkey for helping Syrians.

"Deah was supposed to be here; he was supposed to be a great dentist, but it didn't happen. This project has relieved us of a little of our pain," she said.