Schools built by LDS church open in Türkiye’s Hatay region

On October 23, 2024, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in collaboration with Turkish authorities, inaugurated three schools in Türkiye's Hatay region. Elder Rubén V. Alliaud and Elder Jack N. Gerard were present at the event held in Aşağioba, Antakya district.

Dr. Yusuf Tekin, Türkiye's Minister of National Education, led the government officials at the ceremony. Other officials included Mehmet Öntürk, Mayor of Hatay’s Metropolitan Municipality; Vali Mustafa Masatli, Governor of Hatay Province; and Harun Tüysüz, Provincial Director of National Education.

Minister Tekin emphasized the importance of replacing destroyed schools and building more to aid recovery from the disaster's psychological effects. He expressed gratitude to the Church for its role in reconstruction efforts: “I see all donors as our friends and helpers. We hope this will be a big example to the world.”

The schools' construction was funded by donations from Church members worldwide and involved local companies like Turmaks and FZA. These new educational facilities aim to prevent children from traveling long distances for schooling after earthquakes on February 6, 2023 caused significant damage.

Elder Alliaud explained the Church's involvement: “This is not about the buildings, it is about the future... building people, building hope.” The Church has undertaken numerous projects in Türkiye over five years to support those affected by natural disasters.

Harun Tuysuz highlighted the importance of reopening schools quickly to encourage citizens who had left for educational reasons to return: “We told ourselves we must build schools so that we can bring back our citizens.”

Construction began in May 2024 and concluded within four months. The new schools in Aşağioba, Serinyol, and Üzümdali feature earthquake-resistant designs with modular walls and reinforced steel frames. Each school includes twelve classrooms accommodating 360 primary school children across double sessions.

The facilities are designed with ample daylighting, spacious entrances, ramps for disabled access, laboratories with data cabling, air conditioning systems, sports facilities, gardens, and playgrounds.

The Church plans to continue its reconstruction efforts in Türkiye to help restore normalcy following severe earthquake impacts.