The Presidency’s Directorate of Communications has launched the "Unity of the Century" campaign to mark the second anniversary of the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes of February 6, 2023. The campaign aims to highlight the solidarity demonstrated by the state and the people and to inform the public about the ongoing reconstruction and recovery efforts in the region.
As part of the campaign, a media tour covering Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş, and Hatay was organised from February 3-5, allowing journalists to witness the reconstruction and recovery efforts on-site.
This year, the program was held for the second time and hosted 100 journalists from national and international media outlets, including representatives from the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Russia, Greece, Bulgaria, and Azerbaijan.
During the program, journalists visited completed and ongoing reconstruction projects, such as disaster housing, hospitals, schools, village houses, infrastructure projects, and cultural heritage restoration sites. Officials provided detailed briefings, allowing the media to share these updates with the public.
The three-day tour also included visits to Indere Permanent Earthquake Housing, Türkiye’s largest construction site, as well as Adıyaman Ulu Mosque, Hatay’s Habib-i Nejjar Mosque, and Mor Petrus Mor Paulus Church—key locations in the reconstruction efforts.
Symposium on the Recovery of the Century: From February 6 Earthquakes to a Stronger Future
On February 4, the Directorate of Communications held the "Symposium on the Recovery of the Century: From February 6 Earthquakes to a Stronger Future" in Ankara, attended by the Presidency’s Head of Communications Fahrettin Altun and Minister of Environment, Urbanisation, and Climate Change Murat Kurum.
Experts in disaster and crisis management, academics, search and rescue teams, civil society representatives, and journalists participated in the symposium, which featured sessions on “Public Administration in the Recovery of the Century”, “The Role of Media and Local Actors during the Earthquake” and “Solidarity of the Century through Human Stories”.
The symposium focused on topics such as post-earthquake reconstruction and recovery, the spirit of solidarity, search and rescue operations, disaster communication, and the role of media. Additionally, discussions were held on combatting systematic disinformation during disaster periods.
Reconstruction and Recovery Efforts Documented in a Book
To mark the second anniversary of the February 6 earthquakes, the Directorate of Communications has published a book titled "The Second Year of the Disaster of the Century: Reconstruction and Recovery." The book provides a comprehensive overview of the two-year reconstruction and recovery process.
Additionally, a video featuring visuals and information about the reconstruction efforts has been released on the Directorate’s digital display platforms.
Türkiye’s success in the aftermath of the earthquake is also being shared internationally
Under the coordination of the Directorate of Communications, an international awareness campaign has been launched to highlight the solidarity between state and the people in Türkiye, as well as reconstruction efforts to the global public.
As part of this initiative, images and footage depicting the earthquake’s aftermath and reconstruction activities will be featured on 72 leading news portals and social media platforms in 24 countries, including CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post (USA), The Guardian (UK), DPA and ZEIT (Germany), France 24 (France), and Krone (Austria).
