Dr. Lyla Schwartz and Dr. Abbas Hussaini from Istanbul Gelisim University are also planned to work in the project, which is expected to include 600 Afghans living in Turkey. Speaking about the project, Dr. Mohammad Isaqzadeh from Princeton University made explanations about the methods to be followed in the project and the purpose of the project.
Stating that the project will be the first consultancy for refugees in Turkey to be implemented according to Islamic values, Dr. Isaqzadeh said, “My sister and her family lived as refugees in Turkey from 2015 to 2016. During their stay here, I became aware of the difficulties Afghan refugees face in Turkey. Many Afghan refugees have experienced traumatic experiences in Afghanistan, from extreme poverty to losing family members and friends. While most of these people experience intense physical and psychological difficulties to reach Turkey, they rarely have access to mental health professionals who can speak their language and provide them with psychological counselling. This is how the idea to teach refugees basic coping skills came about.”
