The Ministry of Family and Social Services and the EU Delegation to Türkiye signed a protocol Thursday in Ankara to cooperate on social integration and education programs for foreign nationals in the country. Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş and EU Ambassador to Türkiye Aivo Orav attended the signing ceremony.

The Social Safety Net with Education for Refugees protocol continues cooperation between the bloc and Türkiye that intensified during the escalating plight of Syrian refugees in Türkiye’s neighbor during the civil war there.

Göktaş told journalists that they already had two projects in cooperation with the EU and the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) and were now merging them into a stronger assistance structure.

"This program will also help boost children’s school attendance, and we will provide support to their families,” she said.

Göktaş said the welfare state is the invisible force that keeps societies together.

"The welfare state is the backbone of society. It keeps families, children and the future together without allowing them to be shaken. It provides a secure source of support that people can rely on in difficult times. Türkiye’s approach to the welfare state is built on embracing all segments of society and making opportunities accessible to everyone,” she said.

Göktaş said that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, they had transformed this approach into a helping hand reaching every corner of the country.

"Through the extensive service network of social assistance and solidarity foundations, we have established a presence at the points closest to citizens. We have further expanded this structure with our field teams, who visit households one by one and listen to the concerns of every family. Through our Integrated Social Assistance Information System, we also deliver our support to citizens quickly, fairly and transparently. The World Bank and the Council of Europe cite this system as an example of good practice. With the Monitoring Unit we established last year, we closely track changes on the ground in real time,” she added.

"We reach families quickly, before their needs become more severe, and stand by them. Through this system, we identified more than 35,000 households within one year and directly reached more than 19,000 households. At the same time, our social risk maps allow us to identify in advance what is needed and where. We address vulnerabilities in different areas, from children and women to people with disabilities, older people and families, in a holistic manner. 'Through the Family Guide and Children Are Safe' programs, we regularly monitor households and quickly activate the services they need.”

Minister Göktaş said Türkiye is a country committed to sharing goodwill without regard to borders, adding that it embraces everyone who regards the country as home with compassion, extending a helping hand to those in need and opening its doors to those who knock.

Göktaş said the project they had been implementing since 2016 would be strengthened through the agreement, adding that they would launch a new structure for the Social Cohesion and Education Assistance Program for Foreigners.

Göktaş said they would continue to channel financial support provided by the European Union to vulnerable households through the program.

"We will continue to support families’ basic needs, such as food, shelter and education, through regular cash assistance. In this way, we will provide greater support to families in meeting their basic needs. We will help them integrate into society and lead their lives more safely. Through this program, we will also further strengthen children’s ties to school. We will continue to provide support to the families of children who attend school regularly.”

Aivo Orav, head of the EU Delegation to Türkiye, said another important step had been taken in the EU and Türkiye’s longstanding cooperation to support refugees, noting that Türkiye had assumed an extraordinary responsibility by hosting millions of refugees.

Orav emphasized that addressing migration issues through partnership, unity and close cooperation was the best approach, saying: "Today, with the signing of the Social Cohesion and Education Assistance Program for Foreigners, implemented with a contribution of 402 million euros ($449 million) from the European Union, we are reaffirming this commitment.”

Orav said they planned to provide an additional 203 million euros to the program next year, bringing total support to 605 million euros, and added that the program would help children build a better future.

Orav said poverty, education and child protection were interconnected, adding that the program aims to ensure children attend school regularly and strengthen their links with social services.