Mayor Altay: “Hatay and the entire earthquake region will never be alone”

Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ugur Ibrahim Altay released a message on the second anniversary of the February 6 earthquakes.

Mayor Altay’s message is as follows:

"Two years have passed since the devastating disaster that caused destruction in 11 of our provinces and left deep scars in our hearts.

That dark night, we lost tens of thousands of lives. Our cities were reduced to ruins, and our pain was indescribable. Yet, that day was also one when we felt our nation’s sacrifice and solidarity most profoundly.

Following the earthquake, under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, all our ministers—especially our Minister of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, Mr. Murat Kurum—along with all state institutions, immediately mobilized.

Hands reached out for every breath trapped under the rubble, hearts ran to help despite the cold, and people shared what they had. These acts of unity and wisdom demonstrated to the world our nation’s strength in coming together during the hardest of times.

Now, two years later, the affected cities are being rebuilt. Our state has delivered more than 201,000 homes and workplaces, and the efforts continue tirelessly, day and night.

From the very first moment, we in Konya have stood by our brothers and sisters in Hatay, and the strong bond between us will remain unbroken. As Konya Metropolitan Municipality, we are currently carrying out the restoration of Habib-i Neccar Mosque, the first mosque in Anatolia. Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, and the entire earthquake region will never be left alone.

We will always cherish the sacred memories of those we lost, and just as on that day, we will continue to draw strength from our unity.

With the lessons learned from this great disaster, we are determined to build more resilient cities. May Almighty Allah protect our homeland and our nation from all kinds of disasters and calamities.

On the second anniversary of this catastrophe of the century, I once again commemorate all our lost brothers and sisters with mercy. May their resting places be in paradise."