Turkey Issues Temporary ID Cards to Syrian Refugees

Turkish authorities will issue temporary ID cards to Syrian refugees in the country, announced Faruk Celik, Turkish Minister of Labour and Social Security at a press conference, quoted the BNR public broadcaster.

According to Celik, this will grant Syrian refugees the right to work and be insured according to Turkish labour legislation.

The provision of ID cards and employment to Syrian refugees is included in the development strategy of Turkey for the 2015-2017 period.

It is claimed that employment of Syrian refugees will not come at the expense of Turkish citizens. At the same time, the remuneration Syrians are to receive will not be below the Turkish minimum working wage. The Council of Ministers is expected to come with a decision on the matter.

These days it was announced that the number of Syrian refugees in Turkey has reached 1.6 million since the start of the war in Syria.

Currently, Syrian refugees have the status of guests, meaning that Turkey provides them with conditions for temporary stay or more permanent residence.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus stated that the government has spent around $ 4.5 million on refugees so far.

Kurtulmus added that employment of Syrian refugees might continue in the long-term, as it is highly likely that they are not to leave the country soon.

Reportedly, Syrian refugees will be provided with work in sectors in acute need of labour force, such as construction projects in the southeastern provinces of the country.