The law draws no distinction between temporary protection beneficiaries and applicants for and beneficiaries of international protection in relation to social assistance (see Forms and Levels of Material Reception Conditions).
Cash assistance programmes implemented mainly by Türk Kızılay through a dedicated bank card (Kızılaykart), have focused mainly, though not exclusively, on temporary protection beneficiaries. These include the following:
- Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN): The EU-funded ESSN programme was launched on 28 November 2016 by the World Food Programme, Türk Kızılay and the Ministry of Family and Social Services, under the coordination of AFAD.[1] The programme has now been handed over to the DG NEAR from DG ECHO, in line with the EU humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach. Applicants for international protection and temporary protection beneficieries fall within the scope of this programme.
In the context of the ESSN, the Kızılay Food Card offers a smart card technology developed for people in need to meet all their needs at food stores. International protection applicants who hold a YKN go to the one of the 1,003 Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundations of their satellite city or 9 service centres of Türk Kızılay and fill in an application form for a Kızılaykart. After 5-9 weeks, applicants can receive their cards ready to use from the contracted bank.[2]
Eligibility criteria for receiving the ESSN are have a foreigner’s identification number starting with 99, being single women between the ages of 18 and 59, single seniors aged, single parents or single fathers with at least one child under the age of 18, families with one or more disabled individuals with a disability level of 40% or more (disability status must be documented with a disability report to be obtained from the authorized state hospital), families with more than 4 children, families with a large number of dependents (children, elderly, disabled) (this criterion is determined by the proportion of 1.5 or more dependents per healthy adult (18-59 years old) in the family)[3]. A monthly allowance is 500 TL (14 €) per family member through the Kızılaykart.[4]
The ESSN scheme is the single largest humanitarian project in the history of the EU. As of April 2024, 2,3 billion EUR were distributed, 1,211,205 people and 257,799 householders were being reached.[5] Among the beneficiaries of this programme majority (1,1 millions) are Syrians, and other main groups are Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran nationals. As reported from a stakeholder, Ukrainians under international protection have benefitted from ESSN programme.[6]
Considering that the net minimum wage is 17.002 TL[7] (around 485 EUR), the hunger threshold is 16,792 TL and the poverty threshold is 57,736 TL[8], the monthly payments are far from covering the needs for a dignified life, which is not the main purpose of the programme.
- Complementary Emergency Social Safety Net (C-ESSN): From 2021 this programme has provided additional support for the most vulnerable people receiving ESSN who cannot be referred to livelihood programmes. It supports them to access basic needs. As of April 2024, 375,944 people and 84,944 householders were receiving support, for an amount of 700 TL (20 EUR) per month.[9]
- In-Camp Food Assistance Programme: This programme which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development, and implemented in cooperation with Türk Kızılay and the WFP, provides assistance to refugees residing in 7 Temporary Accommodation Centres. People receiving assistance receive e-vouchers for the monthly per capita aid (300 TL /8.5 EUR) that they can use for food and non-food shopping inside the camp via the Kizilay Card. As of April 2024, 33,864 people were benefiting from it.[10] Majority of beneficieries are Syrians, other top 3 nationalities are Ukraine, Iraq, and Russia.
- Conditional Cash Transfer for Education (CCTE): The EU-funded programme CCTE aims to support refugee families in sending their children to school (see Access to Education) by providing bimonthly payments. The amounts disbursed on a bimonthly basis vary depending on the level of education and gender. The CCTE is being disbursed to 477,983 beneficiaries and 244,644 householders as of March 2024. [11] CCTE has mainly focused on primary school children.[12] It is 90 TL (2.5 EUR) for boys and 100 TL (2.8 EUR) for girls attending kindergarten and primary scool per month and 130 TL (3.7 EUR) for boys and 150 TL (4.3 EUR) per girls attending high school per month.[13]
- Accelerated Learning Project (ALP): The Accelerated Learning project (ALP), a non-formal education project focuses on Syrian and other non-Turkish-speaking refugee children who have never attended school or who have not been attending school for at least three years. The programme assists in integrating children into school at a suitable level for their development. ALP is taught at Public Education Centres for 16 months and has a modular framework. Students who pass the equivalence test after completing a module are subsequently transferred to TPSs based on their age. ALP is extremely beneficial in assuring access, availability, community participation, efficacy, efficiency, and sustainability. As of October 2023, a total of 229 students (122 boys and 107 girls) have been supported under the Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) with 150 TL per person for one payment period.[14]
There is a serious gap in the legal regulations of municipalities, which are local government units, for Syrian refugees. Metropolitan Municipality Law No. 5216 and Municipal Law No. 5393 do not contain any financial and technical regulations for the areas of providing services and assistance to refugees. This situation leaves the decision of the municipalities to help and provide services to foreign citizens, especially Syrians, living within their borders, to the initiatives of the municipalities.[15]
[1] European Commission, ‘European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations’, last updated in 2023, available here
[2] ibid.
[3] Multeci-der, SUY, available here
[4] Ibid.
[5] Kızılaykart, ‘Monthly ESSN Programme Infographics, 2024, available here
[6] Information provided by a stakeholder, June 2023.
[7] T.C. Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı | Asgari Ücret, available here
[8] NTV, 30.04.2024, Açlık sınırı asgari ücretin üzerine çıktı, available here
[9] Kizilaykart, ‘Monthly CCTE Programme Infographics, 2023, available here
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Turk Kizilay, available here
[15] Akyıldız, Ş., Kenanoğlu, M., Güven, S., Kurt, T., Doğanay, C., Kadkoy, O. for TEPAV (Turkish Economic Policy Research Foundation of Türkiye), Supply and Demand-Side Analysis of Syrians in the Labour Market, February 2021, available in Turkish here. Page 66.