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A delegation of 32 journalists from 11 countries, wearing carnation pins in solidarity with earthquake victims, visited Hatay to tour restored sites and learn about reconstruction efforts after the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes.
The program was organized by the Directorate of International Media Coordination under the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications.
As part of the program, 32 journalists who came to the city from the United States, Germany, China, South Korea, Italy, Hungary, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Egypt, and Azerbaijan first attended a briefing meeting held at the Hatay Governor’s Office.
Hatay Governor Mustafa Masatli briefed journalists on the latest status of Hatay’s reconstruction efforts.
After the meeting, reporters toured restored landmarks, including the historic Assembly building and Adali Mansion, then visited the rebuilt Habib-i Neccar Mosque, inspected Kurtulus Street, and the St. Pierre Church.
One of the participants, Mohammed Tharwat, an Egyptian expert on Turkish-Egyptian relations speaking with Türkiye Today, described how signs of reconstruction were visible from the very first moment.
"New roads, modern buildings, and nonstop work sites reflect the scale of the effort to bring life back to one of the hardest-hit provinces," Tharwat said.
Tharwat recalled that they stayed at the Museum Hotel in the city of Antakya, which carries this name because it houses an internal museum. The hotel itself is one of the buildings that has been rebuilt after being affected by the destruction.
"The scene was, in itself, a message: Here, memory is not erased. It is preserved and reclaimed," he said.
Tharwat said the trip was not just an official visit. It was a human, close-up encounter with people’s stories.
In Tharwat’s words, "We listened to moving testimonies from families who lost everything, then started again from scratch."
Tharwat recalled meeting Sada, who lost her home but received a new one along with her family through a long-term repayment plan and exemptions, allowing her to begin a different chapter of life.
"We also met George, whose shop was destroyed in the earthquake, and who has now returned to open a new store in the bazaar and market that were rebuilt from the ground up," Tharwat said.
In Kahramanmaras, the earthquake’s epicenter, the group met with Environment Minister Murat Kurum. A red carnation pinned to his blue suit offered a small but vivid symbol of mourning in a city still defined by its ruins.
"The minister helped us pin it on. One by one, members of the delegation wore it," he said.
He noted that such small details can carry real weight in moments of collective grief, reflecting a sense of shared responsibility and remembrance for those who lost their lives and for families still living with the aftermath.
According to Tharwat, the minister said in the meeting that the state began reconstruction work just 15 days after the earthquakes, despite losses estimated at around $104 billion.
He stressed the government’s commitment to delivering the first housing units to affected families within 45 days, bringing the total to about 455,000 housing units so far.
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