The "City of Hope" built in Syria's northern Azaz district, in cooperation with Qatar Charity and the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), has opened. This city will house approximately 10,000 people affected by the civil war.
A program was held in the Azaz district for the opening and the event was attended by Deputy Interior Minister Münir Karaoğlu, Qatar Minister of Cooperation Meryem al-Misned, Director General of Global and Humanitarian Affairs at Türkiye's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Korhan Karakoç, Kilis Governor Tahir Şahin, Consul General of Aleppo Hakan Cengiz, Qatar Embassy Representative Omar Hassan al-Hil, Syrian Humanitarian Affairs Coordination Office's Adullrazak Shamsedin, Gaziantep Mayor Fatma Şahin, CEO of Qatar Charity Yusuf El-Kuwari, IHH Secretary-General Durmuş Aydın, Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) Vice President Hamza Taşdelen and Qatar Charity representative Nawaf Alhamadi.
Speaking at the event, al-Misned said: "We are happy to be with the Syrian people, whom we consider part of our family. We are witnessing this special day. Today, we are opening the 'City of Hope.' We stand with the Syrian people who have struggled for freedom, as we did in the past and continue to do today."
Karaoğlu thanked those who contributed to the project, stating that Türkiye cooperates with Qatar in many areas. He said: "We provide assistance in many fields in Syria, from shelter to humanitarian aid, and from education to health. Today's opening of the 'City of Hope' is the most concrete example of our efforts. Today, with Qatar Charity and the IHH, we are opening this city with 1,400 homes."
"We want the same things for Syrian children as we do for our own. With today's opening, we are making history in the name of brotherhood between Türkiye, Syria, and Qatar," Şahin said.
Al-Kuwari stated: "We all see how much humanitarian aid has contributed. We are here to inaugurate the 'City of Hope.' This project was realized with the contributions of Qatari philanthropists. This city is a gift to the Syrian people, who have been subjected to the cruelty of war and forced to migrate for 14 years."
Aydın stated that the IHH has aided the Syrian people since the beginning of the civil war. He said: "Today, we are here to open the 'City of Hope,' a symbol of hope and solidarity. The crisis that began in Syria in 2011 has deeply affected the lives of millions of people. However, as the IHH, we have never abandoned the Syrian people. Today, we are happy to implement a new and the most comprehensive project in cooperation with Qatar Charity."
The "City of Hope" project in Syria's Azaz district consists of 280 decares of land, with nine neighborhoods. The city, which will accommodate approximately 10,000 people, includes 1,400 homes, four schools, a mosque, a community education center, a sports complex, a clinic, a multipurpose conference hall, an administrative building, a police station and a market with 50 shops.
