Turkey: Handicapped Syrian boy receives prosthetic hand

SANLIURFA, Turkey

The dream of a handicapped Syrian boy came true when he received a prosthetic hand after having fled civil war in his country.

Born without his left hand, 10-year-old Muhammed Beko was fitted with his new artificial digits in Turkey’s southeastern province of Sanliurfa where he sought refuge from the violence across the border.

Beko is from Syria’s Aleppo province and migrated to Turkey four years ago with his family.

Many Syrian refugees have lost limbs and other body parts in the vicious civil war, experiencing joy after treatment at orthotics and prosthetics centers in Turkey.

Beko has been treated at such a center, built by the joint efforts of the Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), Alliance of International Doctors (AID) and Kuwait-based Bayt-al Zakat, also known as Zakat House.

Refugees receive free-of-cost artificial body parts as well as physiotherapy, at the center.

The Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation (Sosyal Yardimlasma ve Dayanisma Vakfi) in Suruc district in Turkey helped Beko realize his dream.

Director Mehmet Koc said the foundation had heard about Beko from news reports by Anadolu Agency, immediately taking action to help the boy.

Underlining that he was grateful to everyone who supported him, Beko said: "I'm happy to have the prosthetic hand I dreamed of. Now I can meet my needs on my own."

Expressing his love of cycling, Beko added: "I will be able to ride and play games more easily after receiving a prosthetic hand."

According to UN, over 5.6 million people have fled Syria since the eruption of civil war in 2011. Among the countries hosting Syrians, Turkey has welcomed the most with 3.6 million of them within its borders. Other major host countries include Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.

* Writing by Zehra Nur Duz