Turkish MP praises contribution of Syrians to economy

The head of a Turkish parliamentary commission has said Syrian businesspeople have been contributing to Turkey's economy with their factories.

"Syrians have established nearly 10,000 companies. These companies provide business opportunities to more 100,000 people," Atay Uslu told Anadolu Agency Friday.

Uslu pointed out the fact that Turkey had given work permits to Syrians; 39,935 Syrians have obtained work permits since 2016.

"Syrian businesspeople make a contribution to the country's economy with their factories," he said.

Uslu, who chairs the commission on refugee rights in the parliament, said there were 4.5 million migrants in Turkey, of which 3.5 million were Syrians.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, according to UN figures.