As part of the efforts to serve the Syrian people, enhance societal cohesion, and strengthen ties of brotherhood with the host Turkish society, a group of Syrians announced the opening of an office of the Syrian community in the Turkish province of Gaziantep. The move received the support of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC).
SOC President Nasr Al-Hariri sent a letter to members of the community, expressing his wishes for the success of the office in carrying out the tasks entrusted to it; serving the interests of the Syrian refugees in Gaziantep; and following the issues and difficulties facing them and seeking to overcome them.
Al-Hariri said that this responsibility, which we all share, entails a lot of duties and tasks which we will be able to accomplish through cooperation and joint work. He added that the requirements and needs are increasing, which requires combining all efforts, cooperation, and coordination among all institutions, organizations and bodies working to serve the interests of the Syrian people.
Coordinator of the SOC’s Office of Syrian Communities Abroad, Muhammad Yahya Maktabi, stressed the need of forming a body representing the interests of the Syrian nationals in the rest of the Turkish provinces. He pointed out that opening an office of the Syrian Community in Gaziantep came after lots of effort and hard work.
Maktabi said that the goal of opening the community’s office is to seek to serve, endorse, and represent the interests of the Syrian nationals as well as following the issues and difficulties facing Syrian refugees.
The Syrian community in Gaziantep will work to strengthen societal cohesion; preserve the deep-rooted Syrian heritage; clarify historical facts about the Syrian people; and build bridges of communications to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood between the Syrian community and Turkish society.
An estimated 450,000 Syrian refugees live in Gaziantep.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
