OUR MINISTER MR. MEHMET NURİ ERSOY INSPECTED HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL BUILDINGS DAMAGED BY THE EARTHQUAKE IN HATAY

Mr. Ersoy, who checked the structures affected by the earthquakes in Antakya district, made a statement at Hatay Archeology Museum and wished God's mercy to those who lost their lives in the earthquake and condolences to their relatives. Stating that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has an emergency disaster prevention plan prepared by the Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums, Ersoy continued as follows:

"Within the scope of this precautionary plan, all our museums and archaeological sites across Turkey are ready with the actions to be implemented in case they are exposed to a disaster. If a museum is damaged, the procedures such as which team from which city will intervene in that museum, which experts will come, where extra security personnel will be shifted from are clear. Our teams responded to the damaged museums and archaeological sites in 11 cities as planned, without any delay. We are currently conducting damage assessments of our cultural assets in 10 cities with very large teams. The determinations of the structures affiliated to both the Directorate General of Foundations and the Directorate General of Cultural Heritage are continuing rapidly. We have already reached the end."

Minister Mr. Ersoy stated that 78 teams from the Directorate General of Foundations are working in Hatay and that the damage assessments of cultural assets belonging to both the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the public sector have been completed.

Mr. Ersoy stated that now, in the second stage, especially the assets belonging to citizens and private individuals, protection signs are being installed as a priority. Mr. Ersoy stated that this was done in order not to remove the debris of the structures in question.

Announcing that protection bands will start to be drawn in these areas as of today, Mr. Ersoy said "We will work under the control, supervision and leadership of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism both during the debris removal and the reconstruction of the part of the city remaining in the urban protected area. I have visited many points today. There are places that are heavily damaged, places that have been demolished, places with minor damage and places with moderate damage. In the first stage, as of March, we are starting the rapid restoration of the buildings for which we have the surveys and projects without waiting."

Minister Mr. Ersoy emphasized that as of March, work will begin on public buildings and public cultural assets throughout Hatay.

“We will provide both financial and technical support"

Explaining that as of next week, they will start contacting property owners of registered buildings belonging to private individuals. Mr. Ersoy continued his words as follows:

"We will call them all and talk to them. We will tell them how we will intervene together because we need their approval and our agreement because they are privately owned. We will create an action plan with them and intervene in them as well. We have quickly allocated a very serious fund for both the buildings belonging to the Directorate General of Foundations and the buildings belonging to the Directorate General of Cultural Heritage and Museums. We are starting work without waiting. We will also make an arrangement in our regulations regarding the properties belonging to private individuals; this is related to the earthquake. We will provide them with very serious financial and technical support. For those who cannot afford it or those owned by private foundations, we will provide both serious financial support and technical support. If there are those who want it to be completely under our control, we will also take them in."

Explaining that they will implement a different method that they apply in metropolitan cities here, Ersoy said, "We will create a cultural route for Hatay and Antakya. We will revive all registered buildings along these routes. Those that have been completely demolished will be reconstructed with the parts we can save. We need to write a new story here; for Antakya and Hatay. This story needs to be a story centered on culture, gastronomy and tourism. And the pioneers here should be registered buildings with monumental value. Therefore, we need to take the first step."

"We will take responsibility for all registered buildings"

Stating that they will plan with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Mr. Ersoy said: "We will plan cultural routes in the points where there are urban protected areas, and we will start restoration and reconstruction activities as the Ministry as of next month without waiting too long as of March. Mr. Ersoy said, "We will plan a cultural route at the points where there are urban protected areas and we will start restoration and reconstruction activities as the Ministry as of next month without waiting too long as of March."

Ersoy reminded that there are many mosques in Hatay belonging to the Directorate General of Foundations and said:

"We also have registered mosques that do not belong to the Directorate General of Foundations. We take responsibility for all of them. In the same way, you know that Hatay and Antakya have another feature, it is a mosaic. It is a meeting point of religions. We also have synagogues and synagogues here. All mosques are our mosques, all synagogues and synagogues are our synagogues and havra. With this awareness, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will take responsibility for all registered buildings in this region. If there are such structures belonging to private foundations, we will contact them from tomorrow and we will rebuild them without waiting. Our goal is to quickly restore these places and bring them back to their feet in less than a year."

Mr. Ersoy also mentioned that they will form a scientific board on Antakya and Hatay. Mr. Ersoy said, "It will especially consist of professors from here. We are thinking of re-planning this route in line with a plan drawn by the professors. Because the new route of the city for the next 50 years should be on culture, gastronomy and tourism, and it needs to write a new story by meeting with biennials and art again. Our Ministry will take the leading role here."

Minister Mr. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy visited Sarımiye Mosque, Habibi Neccar Mosque and Habibi Neccar Foundation Culture Mansions, Great Mosque, Jewish Synagogue, Long Bazaar, Hatay Parliament Building, Hatay City Museum and Necmi Asfuroğlu Archeology Museum.