Turkish president lends helping hand to 2 Syrians kids

KOCAELI, Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lent a helping hand to two Syrian children with hearing impairment to be treated in Turkey.

Having six kids, Fares and his wife Gusun Afas migrated to Turkey's northwestern Kocaeli province from Syria’s Aleppo province eight years ago.

Three days ago, with initiatives of philanthropists, behind-the-ear hearing aids were placed to the couple's 10-year-old daughter Fatma.

Hearing the story of Fatma and her family, Erdogan on Wednesday gave a directive for the treatment of the couple's other daughter Sara, who is three years old with hearing impairment.

They invited the family to a university hospital over Erdogan's directive, Kocaeli University Rector Sadettin Hulagu said, adding that Sara had congenital hearing loss.

Two months later, we will place a device into Sara's ears. She will regain her health after wearing hearing aids, Hulagu noted.

After Sara's treatment, her speech and hearing ability will almost turn to normal, he said.

Also, Hulagu said Fatma with a hearing aid can hear the voices, but she has difficulty in speaking as she gets older, adding: "We will help her to overcome that difficulty".

Meanwhile, Eymen Afas, the aunt of the children, said Sara had a congenital hearing loss, but her older sister Fatma lost her hearing ability during violent explosions in Aleppo.

Eymen thanked Erdogan for lending a helping hand for the treatment of her nephews.

* Writing by Faruk Zorlu in Ankara