İmamoğlu opens school built by Istanbul Municipality in Hatay following Feb. 6 quake

Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the high school building in Turkey's southeastern Hatay province built by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality as part of the repair efforts after the Feb. 6 earthquakes.

Sunday November 10 2024 01:39 pm

Duvar English

Ekrem İmamoğlu, mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), on Nov. 9 attended the inauguration of a new high school the municipality built in southeastern Hatay province following the Feb. 6 quakes.

The "İBB Workers Kırıkhan Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School," was completed in nine months with the joint financial effort by İBB employees. İmamoğlu and CHP chair Özgür Özel broke ground for the building on the first anniversary of the Feb. 6, earthquakes.

İmamoğlu spoke at the handover ceremony in Hatay’s Kırıkhan district.

Following the quakes, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) designated Hatay as İBB’s sister province.

İmamoğlu said, “From day one, we said that we would never forget this place and that we would always have one eye, one ear, one hand here in some way. We are here with that feeling.” He emphasized that the earthquakes of Feb. 6 placed significant responsibilities on all state institutions.

“We are left asking, ‘Why did we collapse? Why did we lose our people? Why couldn’t we take the right steps since the 1999 earthquake, which was felt even in Istanbul and surrounding areas, despite living in in 2023? Why couldn’t we find solutions and act cautiously, prioritizing key issues in front of us?’ We must ask these questions constantly, day and night. Together, we must account for this, and we must take precautions,” İmamoğlu said.

The Istanbul mayor emphasized the extent of damage Hatay suffered. “Out of 357,467 residences in the city, 215,255 were either destroyed or classified as heavily damaged and requiring urgent demolition. This is a massive cost. It should make us all reflect that even newly built hospitals, government institutions, and other buildings were unfortunately destroyed or heavily damaged.”

İmamoğlu added that the school building was carrying the conscience and sense of justice of 16 million Istanbulites to Hatay.

“Today and in the future, as both İBB, representing the people of Istanbul, and as TBB President and on behalf of local governments across Turkey, we are determined to stand with the earthquake-stricken cities,” he continued.

Hatay youth was experiencing educational inequality since the earthquakes, as 210 of the 1,604 educational buildings in the province were destroyed. “We must provide equal opportunities. We must ensure they receive a quality education,” he added.

Despite the ongoing repairs and renovations, some students continued their education in container schools. “Here, the fact remains that hundreds of thousands of our people are living in unequal conditions.”

Following the speeches, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held with the participation of teachers and students. ,

In another ribbon-cutting ceremony he attended in Hatay's Defne district, İmamoğlu complained that Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Öntürk from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Hatay Governor Mustafa Masatlı had taken leave as he arrived at the province.

He added, “This brother of yours has gotten so used to these avoidances. Today, because we came here, both the city’s governor and the metropolitan mayor have gone on leave. I used to feel bad about this for them. Now, I pray for them, saying, ‘May God set you right, may God give you wisdom.’ This is pure discourtesy, but it’s not important.”

Governor Masatlı responded to İmamoğlu's comments on social media saying, “A person who occasionally comes to the area to engage in politics and as a ‘disaster tourist’ has made false and misleading statements about me today.”

The CHP had lost the Hatay Metropolitan Municipality in the 2024 local elections after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized restoration efforts would accelerate under a Justice and Development Party (AKP) local administration.

Furthermore, the incumbent Hatay Mayor from the CHP, Lütfü Savaş, faced accusations due to the extent of the damage in the province, with locals claiming that the mayor disregarded zoning plans for profit.