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Türkiye's Foreigners' Communication Center (YIMER 157) has helped save the lives of 15,854 people through 1,030 emergency assistance calls received over the past 11 years, said Muhammet Selami Yazici, head of the Directorate General of Migration Management under the Interior Ministry.
Speaking during a visit to the call center in Ankara to mark YIMER 157's 11th anniversary, Yazici said every foreigner in Türkiye can live safely under the protection of the law, adding that the diversity brought by different cultures makes an important contribution to social life, the economy, and academia.
Recalling that the call center began operating on Aug. 20, 2015, Yazici said foreigners in Türkiye can obtain fast and reliable information from the center on many issues within the Directorate General of Migration Management's area of responsibility, particularly visas, residence permits, international protection, temporary protection, and voluntary return.
Yazici said the center provides service in five languages, Turkish, English, Russian, Arabic, and Persian, and that those seeking information can reach YIMER 157 on weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. local time, while the emergency assistance and reporting line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Noting the importance of foreigners entering the country in accordance with the law, staying under appropriate conditions, and building strong ties between Türkiye and their home countries, Yazici said services are also provided to foreigners through webchat, email, SMS, and social media channels in addition to phone calls.
"As YIMER 157, we answered 27,713,000 calls over 11 years. During these calls, we held a total of 42 million minutes of conversations," Yazici said.
Yazici said 99% of cases are resolved on the first call, with an average of 10,000 calls received daily. Regarding emergency assistance calls, he said, "Thanks to the 1,030 emergency assistance calls we have received to date, the lives of 15,854 people have been saved."
Yazici said their work has also been recognized internationally, noting that they have received 10 international awards, including European and World Call Center Awards.
Emphasizing that services for international students are also an important area of work, Yazici said they view these students not only as part of their educational journey but as important bridges for building cultural, economic, and diplomatic ties between Türkiye and the world.
Yazici said they aim to increase the number of international students to 1 million, noting that through a protocol signed with the Council of Higher Education (YOK), students can be connected directly to a foreign-affairs representative dealing with their specific issue when they call YIMER 157.
Yazici pointed out that pressing "2" on the phone is enough to access this service, saying: "Looking at the calls we receive, we see that international students most often request information about school enrollment processes, student residence permit applications and results, and graduation procedures."
Following the visit, Directorate General of Migration Management head Yazici celebrated the center's 11th anniversary along with Deputy Head Murat Karakaya, Director General of Harmonization and Communication Ahmet Dalkiran, Harmonization Department Head Abdulsamet Korkut, and YIMER staff.
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