The governorate of the northwestern province of Edirne, which has a sizeable Roma population, rolled out two new projects of affirmative action for Roma citizens who have long complained of social exclusion. Governor Dursun Ali Şahin announced that they would establish a 41-man Ottoman army band, or mehter, entirely composed of Roma citizens and will train Roma children as "hafiz," or reciters of the Quran. Şahin said the training of the band will start next week. "The governorate's Roma Mehter Band will be equipped with drums, darbukas and zurnas," he said, referring to the two favorite instruments of Roma musicians which will be included in the band that is traditionally composed of instruments such as kettle drums, cymbals, bells and trumpets. The Roma Mehter Band will make its debut at the Kakava festival on May 5, which is a form of the Ederlezi festival of the Roma community of the Balkans. The band's employer will be the governorate but they will be allowed to work freelance as well. Another project by the governorate is training Roma children as Quran reciters. Şahin said that members of the Roma community are known for their beautiful voices. "We will set up training centers exclusively for Roma children seeking to become Quran reciters and give them scholarships. They can be appointed at mosques," he said. Erdem Güyümgüler, the head of the Federation of Romani Associations, welcomed the projects. "Our zurna and drum bands are renowned worldwide. [The Mehter band] project will boost the morale of Roma community and make us proud," he said. Kadir Zurna, who will head the Roma mehter band, said his fellow musicians are an apt group, but they lacked only in the knowledge of printed musical notes. "They already know how to play the traditional melodies of mehter. The training will improve them," he said. Zurna said that already unemployed members of the band will also have employment opportunities in other jobs while playing mehter, noting that the governorate will help them find jobs.Roma in Turkey, like many other countries in the world, complain of discrimination and alienation by the public. Last year, the government drafted an action plan to reach out to underprivileged Roma citizens and improve their lives. In the plan, the government will initially provide vocational training for 5,000 Romas to help their chances of employment. Municipalities will provide incentives for Roma craftsmen to open shops. Another step to help Romas, for whom unemployment remains a major problem, is providing them with temporary employment at municipalities, schools and public institutions. Municipalities will also set up Roma Consultation Committees in cities where they live. The committees will be composed of local officials and representatives of the Roma community and will monitor the implementation of affirmative action measures for the community. The government will also provide educational opportunities for Roma children attending grade and high school to boost their achievements through special training courses. Free preparatory courses for university entrance exams will be offered to disadvantaged Roma students. Roma women attending vocational training courses will be offered free daycare for their children under the action plan. Turkish security forces will also conduct an awareness campaign against the tarnished public image of the Roma community who are often associated with crime.