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The European Commission and Turkey yesterday signed a contract providing 781 million euros from a EU fund for a social security network aimed at the most vulnerable refugees. This marks the largest EU contract ever signed between Ankara and Brussels for refugees.
The Social Security Network (SSN), a continuation of the Emergency Social Security Net, the largest humanitarian aid program launched by the EU in 2016, will ensure the basic needs of about two million refugees continue to be met over the next three years.
With this contract, the amount of the assistance provided by the EU for the refugees in Turkey since 2011 has neared 10 billion euros, the EU Turkey Delegation said in a statement.
The signing ceremony in Ankara, the capital was attended by Olivér Várhelyi, member of the European Commission for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir-Göktaş, and Turkish Red Crescent Chair Prof. Dr. Fatma Meriç Yılmaz.
At the ceremony, Várhelyi said that the contract demonstrates the EU's "steadfast support" for Turkey, which hosts the world's largest refugee community. "In close collaboration with Turkish authorities, we are committed to sustaining our support beyond 2023," he said
Minister Göktaş highlighted that the 21st century has witnessed unprecedented population mobility globally and emphasized that migration is a reality of our times. "Migration, with its causes and consequences, is a shared concern for humanity. Migration movements also bring about changes in some habits of society, alongside the lives of migrants. Mass migrations affect many political, economic, and social indicators worldwide."
The statement from the EU Delegation to Turkey emphasized that Turkey has provided access to health care and education for a greater number of Syrian refugees than any other country.
Additionally, it noted that the EU has been providing monthly cash transfers to eligible refugees, allowing them to withdraw their monthly allowances from ATMs using a special card. These efforts have been carried out in cooperation with the Red Crescent. (AEK/VK)
