ANKARA
Turkish Minister of Family and Social Policies, Fatma Sahin on Friday attended the Fifth Conference of Turkish Ambassadors in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
Addressing the Turkish ambassadors, Fatma Sahin stressed that they were making plans for 2023 (when the Republic of Turkey would celebrate the 100th anniversary of its foundation) by implementing social service policies that encourage employment.
"Our ministry has been restructured and strengthened from an administrative and financial perspective," Sahin noted.
"Uniting social assistance and services under a single roof was crucial," Sahin said.
"One of the most basic policies in the last 10 years in Turkey was directed towards social assistance. In this frame, a great amount of assistance was allocated to the disabled individuals," Sahin indicated.
"We have ended issuing green cards and moved on to general health insurance. Health premiums of 9 million people are being paid by the Turkish government," Sahin emphasized.
Touching on services of her ministry, Fatma Sahin said that 41,000 disabled individuals have been included in mobile education system and that 240,000 women who lost their husbands were given salaries by the government.
"Economic assistance on its won is not sufficient. Economic support must be accompanied by social services," Sahin also said.
