Living with Syrian refugees in Turkey's Kilis

Unlike many Turkish provinces that have received Syrian refugees in large numbers, one hardly sees child beggars on the streets of Kilis in Turkey's south, as the governorate exerted effort to school minors.

There are around 30,000 Syrian children of elementary and middle school age in downtown Kilis. Seventy-five percent of them are going to temporary education centers - special schools designated for Syrian migrants living in Turkey - according to the provincial directorate of education.

This percentage, however, drops to 7 percent for the high-school-aged Syrians as young boys usually start working and girls are married at those ages.

Kilis' crime rate is far below Turkey and Europe averages, Kilis Mayor Hasan Kara told Hürriyet, adding that contrary to projections, there had not been any social traumas or large scale crimes related to the town's rising Syrian population.

However, according to Kara and other residents, Syrians have brought about problems too.

"We share our streets, water, green areas and sewage with them. This brings about some serious problems. A Syrian family dumps three times as much garbage as a Turkish family; they consume also three times more water. We receive huge support from the [Turkish] president, the prime minister and the cabinet but even the burden Hercules can shoulder has a limit," Kara said, complaining about the lack of support from the U.N., E.U. and Arab countries. "We do not get along with Syrians. Our cultures, customs and languages are way different from each other. Our lives are very different. But we are showing a hospitality that has not been witnessed before," Kara said. "Even if you plant mines around Kilis or Turkey, these people would want to go to Europe as long as we do...