On October 17th, IBC organized a trip to Topkapi Palace for beneficiaries from the district of Sultanbeyli for Turkish and the Syrian communities. A total of 107 beneficiaries, 79 Syrians and 28 Turks, attended this trip. Participants met at the IBC Community Center in Sultanbeyli and were taken to a nearby restaurant for breakfast. During this time, beneficiaries from both communities were able to sit together and interact with each other. They were then taken to the palace for sight-seeing.
Upon arrival, all beneficiaries were handed an entrance ticket for the palace and were given the opportunity to socialize among each other. Beneficiaries engaged in some fun activities such as singing and dancing in the surrounding park outside the palace. IOM media officer was also present at the event and took photographs. The overall feedback from the event has been fairly positive. Most beneficiaries commented that it was a great opportunity to view a historical site they have never been to before. Also, it appeared that Syrian participants as well as some Turkish participants had not been to the Topkapi palace before on account of financial constraints.
