Schools suffer $34 million in damage due to clashes

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Turkey has spent 100 million Turkish Liras ($34.2 million) on repairs for schools affected by the state’s fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) last year, Education Minister Nabi Avcı said on Feb. 11.

In a presentation to a parliamentary budget committee in Ankara, Avcı said, “Almost 400 schools were hit by terrorist attacks last year. Due to these attacks, an extra 100 million liras from the ministry budget had to be spent for furnishing, repair works and urgent needs.”      

Turkey has intensified its operations against PKK militants since July 2015 in the southeastern part of the country.

Avcı added 310,000 Syrian children aged between 5 and 17 are now receiving education in Turkey.

Apart from Syrian children receiving education in refugee camps near the border, around 73,000 Syrian children are being educated in Turkish schools - a figure that is expected to reach 105,000 by the end of the school year, according to state figures.