IDLIB, Syria —Turkey has recently suspended the issuance of the temporary protection ID card — known as Kimlik — for Syrian refugees who need lifesaving treatment inside Turkish territories, replacing it with a medical tourism document.
On Sept. 20, the medical coordination office of Bab al-Hawa crossing with Turkey issued a circular stating, “We hereby inform patients who have received medical referrals that the issuance of these medical referrals have stopped as of Sept. 11, and until the activation of a new health system for Syrian patients in Turkish hospitals.”
The Turkish government would issue a receipt for a Kimlik — a document requesting the Kimlik that contains personal information about the beneficiary — for Syrian patients upon entry to the Turkish territories. The Syrian refugee must then head to the Turkish immigration department in the province where he is residing and wants to receive treatment, to replace the receipt with the official temporary protection card (Kimlik). The card entitles Syrian refugees to receive all Turkish government services, including free medical treatment at government hospitals and free medication from Turkish pharmacies.
The latest Turkish decision to replace the Kimlik with a medical tourism document denies Syrian refugees all these services, worsening the suffering of many patients. These will be forced to pay for the costly medical treatments, which was previously covered by the Turkish government.
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