‘Syrian refugees make valuable contributions to Turkey’

ANKARA

Syrian refugees make valuable contributions to communities across Turkey, said the country's presidential communications director late Saturday.

Posting a video featuring six Syrian refugees who managed to rebuild their lives in Turkey, Fahrettin Altun said the refugees have made a difference in Turkey.

Turkey hosts nearly 4 million refugees from Syria -- more than any other country in the world -- the video said.

The video features refugees who opened businesses in Turkey such as a cellphone shop and a women-only coffeehouse and thereby contribute to the Turkish economy.

“The Directorate of Communications celebrates six individuals who rebuilt their lives and made a difference in Turkey,” Altun said on Twitter.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN officials.

Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross to Europe since 2011, when the civil war in Syria began.