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354 thousand Syrian refugees have been resettled in "safe areas" Turkey established after the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations in northwestern Syria, Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu said today (September 19).
"Despite the confusion in the West, every step Turkey takes has a strategic meaning," Soylu remarked at the "International Security Congress" in the capital Ankara.
"Syria finding peace and the forming of a 'secure zone' there speeds up the returns. Turkey is trying to ensure peace there through discussions and dialogue with other states," Soylu added.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said yesterday that they aim to resettle up to three million Syrians in the planned safe zone in northern and northeastern Syria.
While Turkey hosts over more than 3.6 million registered Syrian refugees, it rounded up 268 thousand "irregular immigrants" last year and 270 thousand so far in 2019, the minister noted.
He added that schooling rate of the Syrian children in Turkey is 96,3 percent, while the worldwide average is 60.1 percent. (EMK/VK)
