29 June 2026, Ankara – The kick-off meeting of the Social Cohesion and Inclusion Support for Refugees in Türkiye (BRIDGE) Project, funded by the European Union, was held in Ankara on 30 June 2026. The project will be implemented over a period of 48 months by UNDP Türkiye, with the Ministry of Interior’s Presidency of Migration Management (PMM) as the main implementing partner and coordinating institution. The Ministry of National Education is among the beneficiary institutions of the project.

The kick-off meeting, organised to introduce the project's overall framework, implementation approach, priority intervention areas, and expected results, brought together representatives from Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, General Directorate of Harmonization and Communication of the PMM, FRiT Coordination Office, Ministry of National Education General Directorate of Lifelong Learning, the Turkish Red Crescent, the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK), SALAR International, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The project aims to strengthen mutual understanding and social cohesion between Turkish citizens and people under temporary and international protection, facilitate access to formal employment, enhance Turkish language proficiency, and improve access to rights and public services.

BRIDGE adopts a comprehensive development approach that addresses social cohesion through the interconnected dimensions of individual empowerment, economic participation, and institutional capacity. Within this approach, language skills, employment, and access to information are recognised as mutually reinforcing elements. Proficiency in Turkish not only facilitates communication but also directly supports continued education, participation in the formal labour market, and access to public services. Likewise, access to accurate and reliable information on rights, services, and available support mechanisms enables individuals to make informed decisions about their own circumstances and contributes to the transparent, people-centered, and needs-based implementation of relevant processes, including voluntary relocation.

The project approaches social cohesion not as a one-sided expectation but as a shared process through which refugees and the Turkish community build a common future. Trust between communities is shaped through everyday experiences in education, employment, access to services, and daily life. Community-based initiatives and local partnerships further strengthen this mutual engagement and contribute to sustainable social cohesion.

The participation of women in social and economic life is a cross-cutting priority throughout all components of the project. Childcare support, mentoring, counseling, skills development, and entrepreneurship support are designed as complementary interventions that promote individual empowerment, household well-being, and community resilience.

Sustainable results depend not only on individuals' access to opportunities but also on the capacity of the institutions providing those opportunities. For this reason, BRIDGE also includes a strong institutional capacity development component aimed at supporting public institutions, local actors, and field teams in delivering more inclusive, accessible, and rights-based services. In doing so, the project seeks to ensure that the knowledge, experience, and partnerships generated throughout its implementation become embedded within existing systems and continue to create value well beyond the project's lifetime.

The BRIDGE Project is funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP Türkiye under the main implementing partnership of the Presidency of Migration Management.

For further information: Lâle Çeviker, UNDP Türkiye Communications Coordinator, lale.bozuyuk@undp.org