Turkey is both a destination and a transit country for migrants who are forced to leave their homeland for various reasons. Due to its location Turkey serves as a safe heaven for migrants from the Middle East and the Far East to seek shelter in and a transit country for African migrants trying to reach Europe.

Turkey, however, does not grant refugee status to asylum-seekers from non-European countries as per geographical limitation clause it attached to the related international treaty, but it offers temporary protection to asylum-seekers until their refuge application has been concluded. Therefore, asylum applicants have nothing to do but to wait patiently. Agreeing to the procedure entails pre-acceptance of all kinds of hardships.    

The IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation supplies regular aid to refugees who are struggling to survive as they seek asylum. The foundation has assumed caring for a number of refugee families. Recently the IHH distributed stationery materials to refugee students in Turkey as the new education year starts. The foundation gave educational sets to 88 students in Beykoz, Ümraniye and Fenerbahçe camps and to another 60 Chechen children staying in different cities. Another 45 Meskhetian refugee students were distributed stationery sets. The students were happy to receive the sets and thanked IHH donors over aid.