About TMK

The Refugee Council of Turkey (TMK) brings together more than 20 civil society organisations (CSOs) working across Turkey to advocate jointly for better policies and programs for refugees and the communities that host them. Our members include national CSOs working with or for refugees, as well as organisations set up and run by refugees themselves (refugee-led organisations).

The TMK was founded in 2016 by a group of CSOs that saw a need to strengthen collaboration and cooperation amongst national CSOs and refugee-led organisations. It exists to enable more effective and impactful collaboration amongst these groups.

The TMK currently has more than 20 members. Members work across Turkey in more than 60 provinces. They carry out a wide range of activities including but not limited to advocating for the rights of refugees, delivering services and carrying out research and policy analysis. They work with refugees from various different countries, including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as with the communities that host them across Turkey.

The TMK’s focus is informed by the priorities of our members, which are in turn determined in consultation with refugee and host communities across Turkey. Our current policy focus is on access to basic services such as health and education; employment; the particular issues affecting women and girls; the participation of refugees and host communities in decision-making processes that affect their lives; and the extent to which commitments to put local and national actors, including civil society, in the driving seat of development and humanitarian assistance are being realised in Turkey.