Hatay still bears the scars of the massive destruction it has endured. Almost all the rubble from the collapsed buildings has been removed from the city, but large empty spaces, sometimes between buildings and along the roads, serve as a stark reminder of the great losses the city has suffered.
In addition, there are still partially damaged buildings that have yet to be demolished, awaiting court decisions regarding demolition orders. These structures stand as silent witnesses to the challenging times the city has gone through. Many container zones, along with the rare tent settlements in the inner neighborhoods, continue to meet the housing needs of the city’s residents.
The Uzun Bazaar, which has long been home to the city’s tradespeople, is slowly returning to commercial life. In addition, many temporary container markets, including one named after this historic bazaar, have sprung up throughout the city. Alongside these, there are also numerous small, individually placed container shops set up by tradespeople who have the means to do so, contributing to the city’s efforts to revive its economy. However, these efforts are still in their early stages.
Despite all the negativity, you can still detect faint glimmers of hope in people’s eyes, mixed with much concern. Though small in comparison to the scale of the challenges, the work of civil society organizations is one reason for this hope. At INGEV’s supply chain meeting in Hatay, these sparks of hope were noticeable. The meeting was the latest step in a project aimed at reviving small businesses owned by women.
Under the leadership of Renan Burduroğlu, women entrepreneurs, who had completed their business development consulting and prepared their business plans, began taking concrete steps with the help of support grants. The supply chain meeting, which included representatives from the food, textile, stationery, handicrafts, and cosmetics sectors, helped to strengthen these efforts. In fact, the women entrepreneurs are not only supporting themselves but also contributing to the strengthening of the regional economy.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the large brands—Migros, g2m, Metro, and Coca-Cola—who have made supporting the recovery efforts a part of their corporate policies and contributed to the success of the supply chain meeting, which was coordinated by Eleleyiz project manager Hande Soğancılar. We also extend our gratitude to the Turkey Local Humanitarian Forum for hosting this important event.