Vice President Fuat Oktay and Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık came together with the residents of Saray Barrier-Free Living and Care Rehabilitation Center at the "Barrier-Free Iftar Meeting"

Vice President Mr. Oktay and Minister Derya Yanık attended the "'Barrier-Free Iftar Meeting" organized by the Ministry at Saray Barrier-Free Living and Care Rehabilitation Center.

In his speech, Oktay stated that very important activities were being carried out to ensure that persons with disabilities could exist in all areas of life and that was started by changing prejudices and the wrong assumptions, behaviors, practices, and even concepts stemming from these.

Stating that they expanded the rights-based approach, which was at the center of their social policies, to include persons with disabilities, Oktay emphasized that they did not consider any work being done and any opportunity being provided as a "favor", but as a "delivery of rights" as it was in every field.

Fuat Oktay stated that with the amendments made to the Constitution and laws and international conventions, they ensured positive discrimination for persons with disabilities.

 "We will continue the employment of persons with disabilities in the public sector"

Stating that they supported the struggle of persons with disabilities to have equal rights and opportunities on the streets, in business life, in the public sector, in sports, in politics, and everywhere, Oktay continued as follows:

"We have made your accessibility a fundamental requirement in all areas from public services to urban planning, from public transportation to the private sector. The most important indicator of the progress made by persons with disabilities in working life is employment in the public sector. We have increased the number of persons with disabilities employed in the public sector by 12 times from 5.777 to 65.662 today. Is it enough? No. We will continue.

We have supported persons with disabilities and their families with hope homes, barrier-free day care living centers, and residential care centers. The center in Saray Neighborhood, where we gather today for Iftar, is one of them. Nearly 564.000 persons with disabilities, who benefit from home care allowance, continue to live peacefully, safely, and compassionately with their families. Together, with many social government practices which could take hours if we were to count them one by one, we have once again shown to the entire Türkiye that persons with disabilities are an inseparable part of this country and the nation."

Stating that May 14 is a historic turning point for the uninterrupted continuation of all these achievements, Oktay emphasized that they would continue to serve the persons with disabilities and the entire Türkiye under the leadership of the President of Republic of Türkiye, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the new period.

 Support for persons with disabilities affected by the earthquake

Fuat Oktay stated that one of the first things they did after the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş was to take care of persons with disabilities in the region and added, "We immediately moved the persons with disabilities staying in the residential care institutions to other provinces and ensured that they remained safe."

Oktay noted that by reaching over a thousand persons with disabilities who were being treated in hospitals, they brought those in need of social assistance and social services under government protection.

Stating that they visited earthquake survivors staying in dormitories, hotels, and temporary shelters, identified persons with disabilities in need of care, and placed them in residential care institutions, Oktay said that a system was established to meet the needs of persons with disabilities and older persons such as food, clothing, medicines, and devices and that persons with severe disabilities care and home care allowances were paid without delay.

Pointing out that disasters were also periods that revealed the qualities of being a nation to the extent of the solidarity and the power of societies, Oktay added that the Turkish nation showed great solidarity after the earthquakes on February 6.

Oktay stated that there were nearly a thousand person who was left with disability due to the loss of limbs in the earthquake and that they would meet all the needs of these persons, including their prostheses.

Stating that they aimed to build 319.000 new houses in one year and 650.000 new houses in total for those whose houses were destroyed or damaged, Oktay continued: "We are planning dozens of new settlements, each of which is the size of a district, with a barrier-free city approach. We will act with this understanding while reviving the existing city centers."

"We urgently moved 1333 persons with disabilities to the residential care institutions in different provinces"

In her speech, Minister Yanık stated that nearly 13.500.000 people directly affected by the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6. She wished God's blessings to those who lost their lives and a speedy recovery to those who were injured.

Stating that the Ministry contacted institutions related to the persons with disabilities and older persons in the region immediately after the earthquake and received the first status report, Yanık continued as follows:

"Subsequently, we urgently moved 1333 persons with disabilities receiving services from the institutions to the residential care institutions in different provinces. Our teams then worked and continue to work in the field to identify those in need of professional care among persons with disabilities and older citizens sheltering in tents and container cities in the earthquake zone. As of yesterday, we have placed 954 persons with disabilities in need of professional care in the institutions."

Yanık said that the Ministry continued their social investigations by visiting those who settled in the dormitories, guesthouses, and hotels of the General Directorate of Student Loans and Dormitories outside the earthquake zone, and because of the investigations, they urgently placed persons with disabilities in need of professional care in residential care institutions.

"We continue on our way without leaving no one behind"

"Under the leadership of Mr. President, we continue on our development journey as a country without leaving no one behind." Minister Yanık stated that they considered each person as an essential element of social development without discriminating against women, men, children, youth, older persons, or persons with disabilities and those they continued their efforts in this direction.

Yanık continued her words as follows:

"We have younger persons who have been appointed with e-KPSS and are now serving in public service. I would like to express once again that we are also proud of them. We are incredibly proud of our children and younger persons. Each and every one of them put forth their efforts with all their capacities and talents to build the future of this country. I thank them all very, very much. The fact that life itself is a continuous process of change indicates that we must continue our efforts for a fairer and more equitable world without disruption. We have shaped our policies in the field of disability with a rights-based approach, not an aid-based approach, for a fairer and more egalitarian world."

Emphasizing that the point Türkiye has reached in 20 years is a guide to aim for a more advanced point for tomorrow, Yanık added, "We aim for persons with disabilities to lead a life in which they can effectively exist in all areas of social life as free and independent individuals who have a voice and decision about their own lives."

Following the speeches, Vice President Mr. Oktay was presented with a painting prepared by younger persons with disabilities. Oktay and Minister Yanık visited one of the care homes for persons with disabilities in Saray Barrier-Free Living and Care Rehabilitation Center campus after the program and chatted with the persons with disabilities staying there.