Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said, "The work initiated to carry out the services for the persons with disabilities and the older persons under two separate general directorates continues. Thanks to this new formation, the demands of persons with disabilities will be evaluated with more meticulous approach and arrangements will be made to keep them more active."

Speaking at the "Meeting of Civil Society Organizations" held at the Presidency of Darülaceze within the scope of the Week of Persons with Disabilities (May 10-16), Göktaş noted that the week was a valuable reminder for all citizens to be aware of the 4.8 million persons with disabilities with whom all citizens wake up on the same day, live in the same neighborhood and spend time working at shared workplaces, and to be aware of their responsibilities towards these persons.

Stating that Göktaş wanted to briefly share the stories of three names achieving great success in their fields despite their physical disabilities, Göktaş continued as follows:

"The first of the stories is about a little boy who was curious about space. Chasing his curiosity, the boy graduated from the Deparment of Astronomy and Space Sciences, which he earned a degree on, and became the first aerospace engineer of the country. That boy is Turgay Karakaş, a boy who was told at the age of four that he would never be able to speak or walk. The second story belongs to a man who devoted his life to reading and writing out of his interest in literature and philosophy and his passion for books. The man who lost his sight due to his passion is Cemil Meriç, who has contributed important works to the Turkish philosophical scene. The third story is about a girl whose passion and determination for life led her to take up swimming. Sümeyye Boyacı, who was born with missing both arms, is our pride, waving the flag as the champion in international competitions."

Summarized 22 years of work done

Underlining that there were many more success stories from Aşık Veysel to Bülent Çetin, from Yusuf Akgün to Sare Aydın, who left important traces in every field, especially in sports, art, literature and science, Göktaş noted that today public would remember them not for the disabilities to which they were subjected, but for the values they added to the country and the successes they achieved, and that it was the greatest responsibility of the Ministry to include new names to these list.

Stating that the Ministry made every effort to support persons with disabilities in all areas of life, Göktaş stated that the Ministry carried out revolutionary works in 22 years to ensure that persons with disabilities had the living standards deserved.

Emphasizing that in line with the vision put forward by the President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Göktaş said that the Ministry implemented social policies for the persons with disabilities with a rights-based approach rather than an aid-based approach, and that the Law on Persons with Disabilities, which was enacted in 2005, was a major reform that added innovations to the lives of persons with disabilities.

Reminding that the Ministry took positive discrimination for the persons with disabilities under constitutional guarantee in 2010, Göktaş stated that the Ministry addressed all the issues in a wide range of areas from education to healthcare, from employment to social life with great sincerity. Minister Göktaş noted the following:

"In this context, the Ministry provides residential care services to 36.000 citizens with disabilities in 106 public and 313 private care centers. With 136 Day Care and Rehabilitation Centers and 143 Hope Homes, we stand united with the persons with disabilities. The Ministry has introduced an obligation for the public and private sectors to employ persons with disabilities to eliminate barriers to education and employment. The Ministry has increased the occupancy rate in the obligation to employ persons with disabilities to 80 % with facilitating and incentivizing policies. By introducing EKPSS in the employment of persons with disabilities, the Ministry has increased the number of persons with disabilities working in the public sector by 12 times and reached 68.000."

Minister Göktaş stressed the importance of civil society organizations

Minister Göktaş stated that the Ministry increased the pensions granted to persons with disabilities over the age of 65 unable to work or unable to find a job by 200 % to 300 %, transferred resources to sheltered workplaces organizing their working environments according to the needs of persons with disabilities, and made a monthly payment of 7.608 liras to approximately 600.000 citizens for "Home Care Allowance".

Stating that the Ministry also provided respite care services in residential institutions for citizens with disabilities to allow their families to spend time for themselves, Göktaş said that the Ministry created social and environmental conditions providing fair opportunities for everyone, and in this context, easy access  were ensured for persons with disabilities in all kinds of public services.

Explaining that the Ministry introduced accessible standards to public spaces such as sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and parks, public buildings such as hospitals and schools, public transportation vehicles, information and communication systems, Göktaş emphasized that the Ministry established Barrier-Free Living Centers to ensure the social integration of persons with disabilities, improve their quality of life and meet their needs.

Minister Göktaş stated that the Ministry developed new projects to ensure unhindered access of citizens with disabilities to all social rights and opportunities, taking into account the conditions and needs of the day, and said, "In this context, the work initiated to carry out services for the persons with disabilities and older persons under two separate general directorates continues. With this new formation, the demands of persons with disabilities will be evaluated with a more meticulous approach and we will make arrangements making them more active."

Stating that the Ministry would continue to provide services in all areas from care services to employment, from education to awareness raising activities, from psychosocial support to social assistance, Göktaş noted that civil society organizations had an important role in identifying and voicing the challenges, needs and demands of the persons with disabilities.

The Minister of Family and Social Services Göktaş continued her words as follows:

"Every step taken together will eliminate a difficulty in the life of citizens with disabilities and provide for the elimination of their needs. In this sense, I hope that the unity and cooperation will continue to grow."