5 March 2023 - Istanbul - Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TÜRKONFED), Sectoral Associations Federation (SEDEFED) and Habitat Association, which have been carrying out extensive work to bind up wounds in the region since the first day of the earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş that affected 11 cities, have made a large effort to create "sustainable living centers" until permanent residences are built in the region and established the “Joint Cooperation Platform” with the participation of their stakeholder network. The Platform, which will create living centers called "THE TOWN" in Hatay-Samandağ, Kahramanmaraş and Adıyaman, which were heavily damaged in the earthquake, started to establish its first center in Hatay-Samandağ.
Under the leadership of AFAD and under the coordination of Coordinator Governor of Samandağ and the District Governorate of Samandağ, the TOWN project, which started to be built on a 16-decare area left for use as a shelter in Mağaracık and Kurtderesi by the Samandağ Municipality, will cover 266 living spaces at the first stage. With the area to be put into use in the second phase in Samandağ, the Sustainable Living Center with a total of 600 buildings consisting of 500 living spaces and 100 reinforcement areas will be completed.
Houses, social facilities, and work areas together
Within the scope of the project, the centers consisting of 600 containers in each city and a total of 1,800 containers, will be created in the area to be left for use by the state institutions. The containers, consisting of two rooms and a bathroom, to be established for shelter, will be delivered ready-made, including all the basic requirements of a house. Other containers are health services such as infirmary, health center; educational areas such as kindergartens and classrooms; social facilities such as game centers, libraries, women's centers, special areas for the elderly, and a tea house. It will also include working areas such as workshops, trade and industry, warehouse, security and management areas. In the centers to be established in three cities, it is planned to meet the social and cultural needs of 6 thousand people, including accommodation.
It is aimed to prevent loss of workforce
Another important goal within the scope of the TOWN project, which was implemented with the cooperation of public institutions and local governments, was determined as the integration of these centers into the economic activity areas in the cities. In this context, it is also aimed to integrate the living centers to be established in the areas to be allocated for the use of the Joint Cooperation Platform into organized industrial zones or small industrial sites. Thus, while supporting the people of the region to rebuild their lives, on the other hand, it is aimed to prevent migration from the cities affected by the earthquake, to prevent the loss of employment and workforce and to contribute to the maintenance of production in the region. It is also envisaged that after the permanent residences are completed, these centers can be prepared to be transformed into social and cultural areas, especially disaster preparedness training centers for organized industrial zones and small industrial sites and workers in the regions.
Mobilization from the business world for containers
In the first TOWN in Samandağ, infrastructure works continued rapidly, while the business world took action to purchase containers. In addition to the mobilization campaign, which started with the donation of 50 containers by the Denizli Young Businesspeople Association (DEGİAD), 25 containers by the Adana Industrialists' and Businesspeople's Association (ADSİAD) and 10 containers by OMEGA Group, all necessary items and equipment for shelter and social areas will be supplied with the support of the business world.
