Hatay holds costly quake memorial for officials amid survivors' struggles

Hatay Municipality spent 17.54M lira ($484k) on a Feb. 6 quake memorial, sparking criticism as 218,379 survivors still lived in container cities. Survivors lamented, saying roads were only asphalted for officials' attendance while they suffered from absent infrastructure since the quake.

Wednesday February 12 2025 01:53 pm

Ministers and government officials stand for the national anthem during the commemoration ceremony held in Hatay.

Duvar English

The Hatay Metropolitan Municipality, led by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) mayor Mehmet Öntürk, has spent a whopping 17.5 million Turkish liras (484 thousand dollars) for its commemoration program for the second anniversary of the Feb. 6 quakes, according to a Feb. 12 report by the daily Sözcü.

The program, attended by ministers, parliament members, the governor, and the mayor, involved two separate tenders.

According to the news report, 4.26 million lira (118 thousand dollars) was paid for a Jan. 29 tender, and 13.28 million lira (367 thousand dollars) was paid for the second tender on Jan. 31.

While earthquake survivors in Hatay endured harsh winter conditions in container cities, the amount spent for an official commemoration drew criticism.

National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, parliament members, and Governor Mustafa Masatlı attended the Feb. 6 ceremony.

A road in the southeastern Hatay province neglected for two years and frequently submerged, was asphalted before ministers arrived at the province for the commemoration ceremony. Earthquake survivors criticized the provision of services for the official protocol that had not been extended to them.

According to the Disaster And Emergency Management Presidency's (AFAD) "Integrated Disaster Management" report, as of Feb. 2025, 649,632 people still lived in container cities in earthquake-affected regions. Hatay emerged as the city with the largest number of container city residents, totaling 218,379 people.

Mayor Öntürk responded to criticism about the asphalt being laid for the commemoration, saying, "There were those who criticized the thin layer of asphalt we laid to avoid holding our February 6 commemoration in the mud."

Saying that the municipality was "well aware" of Hatay's road problem, the mayor maintained that infrastructure must be completed before asphalt can be laid.

"I know it requires patience, but we made a promise. We will rebuild this city," he concluded.

After the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes of Feb. 6, 2023, a total of 24,147 people lost their lives according to official statistics in the devastated province. Some 80,323 buildings either collapsed or were severely damaged.