ANKARA

Turkey has helped in the development of Palestine with $400 million worth of projects implemented through its Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency, Palestinian Ambassador to Ankara has said.

In remarks made at a ceremony in Ankara where he presented the Palestinian "Order of Merit and Excellence" medal to TIKA President Serdar Cam, Palestinian Ambassador to Turkey Faed Mustafa said the Turkish organization granted $400 million to Palestinian areas, including Gaza, West Bank and Jerusalem.

According to the agency’s internal data, TIKA implemented 349 projects in Palestine since Turkey inaugurated the Palestine Coordination Program Office in 2005.

The agency implemented 173 projects in West Bank, 113 projects in Gaza and 63 projects in Jerusalem, creating much needed educational and emergency facilities in the area.

Out of the total projects, TIKA carried out 78 social infrastructure, 64 administrative infrastructure, 52 education, 46 emergency, 38 health, 25 production sector, and 25 water and sanitation projects as well as 21 restoration projects for joint historical and cultural monuments.

The help granted to Palestine constitutes 30 percent of the total help TIKA granted to Middle East and Africa region in the last 10 years.

On March 2016, TIKA announced plans to build 320 housing units for Palestinians affected by Israel’s 2014 military offensive against the Gaza Strip.

The $13 million project includes construction of 20 buildings, TIKA representative Bulent Korkmaz said.

Established in 1992, Turkey's state-run TIKA aid agency is responsible for implementing Turkey's developmental cooperation policies in 140 countries.