Hatay Youth Center ALİKEV Mekan Reopens After Earthquake

A new multi‑purpose youth center, ALİKEV Mekan, was inaugurated in the Ekinci neighbourhood of Antakya, Hatay, on 25 July. The ceremony followed the destruction of the previous Ali İsmail Korkmaz Youth Center in the February 6, 2023 earthquakes and marked the start of renewed community activities.

Representatives of the Ali İsmail Korkmaz Foundation, local officials, donors, artists and volunteers attended. Speakers included Emel Korkmaz, chair of the foundation’s board, who emphasized the centre’s role in continuing the late Ali İsmail Korkmaz’s vision of solidarity and hope for young people.

The facility houses a public library, quiet study areas, book clubs, research spaces, a music rehearsal and recording studio, a podcast studio, and versatile rooms for workshops, panels, film screenings and concerts, as well as an outdoor garden for cultural events. It is intended to serve youth, civil‑society groups and the wider neighbourhood as a hub for social, cultural and academic development.