Education vital to keep Syrians from extremism, EU says

By Ecenur Colak

ANKARA (AA) - Educating Syrian children is crucial to prevent them falling under the influence of extremist groups, the head of the EU mission to Turkey said Thursday.

"Providing education, offering a future to the war-torn generation is of the utmost important," Christian Berger told an international ombudsman meeting in Ankara. "We -- the EU and Turkey together, but also the entire region -- cannot afford losing a generation to... extremist and violent groups. We must and we do offer an alternative."

Turkey is home to around 3 million Syrian refugees, according to government figures, and has spent around $25 billion providing services and shelter since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

Berger, who was appointed to Ankara in the immediate aftermath of the July 2016 coup attempt, reiterated the EU's support for Turkish democratic institutions and its condemnation of terrorism.