- President of the Council of Higher Education Özvar spoke in Hatay:

- “We cannot afford to neglect any of our children; we must take care of them.”

- “Under the leadership of our President, the wounds of all provinces in the earthquake region were healed in a short time.”

- Özvar met with regional university rectors in Hatay and joined students for iftar and suhoor.

March 9, 2026

President of the Council of Higher Education Erol Özvar visited Hatay, where he met with the rectors of universities in the earthquake-affected region and held a series of meetings.

First, he visited Hatay Mustafa Kemal University and received information from the Rector, Prof. Veysel Eren, about the university’s academic activities.

He later met with the rectors of universities in the region and listened to updates on ongoing work.

“It is like building a country”

Referring to the earthquakes that occurred on 6 February 2023, Özvar emphasized that, in their aftermath, the state mobilized all its institutions and resources.

Reminding that universities continued their educational activities without interruption, Özvar stated that the higher education system carried on its work without being overwhelmed by this major disaster and without causing hardship for students. He continued:

“There is still much to be done. Our state and government have prioritized providing housing for our citizens who were left without shelter. Undoubtedly, other public institutions will also be addressed in due course, with our universities among the foremost. Resources have already been allocated, and additional funding will certainly follow. Few could have imagined that half a million housing units could be built in this country, yet this has been accomplished. Even envisioning half a million homes is no small task. It is comparable to building an entire country, not merely a city. In this regard, the participation of our universities in this process is of great importance.”

Following the meeting with regional rectors, President of the Council of Higher Education Özvar attended an iftar program organized by Mustafa Kemal University and the Turkish Youth Foundation (TÜGVA) at the university’s dining hall. Özvar broke the fast with students, accompanied by Hatay Governor Mustafa Masatlı and the rectors of universities from the region.

“We have healed the wounds of February 6”

Speaking at the iftar program, Özvar recalled that Hatay was among the provinces most severely affected by the earthquakes on 6 February 2023.

“Our state responded immediately to the earthquake, mobilizing all its institutions and organizations to address the resulting hardships,” said Özvar, adding that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the wounds in all provinces of the earthquake region were healed within a short time.

Governor Masatlı also noted that on 6 February and in the days that followed, the state and the nation united and acted as one.

Masatlı said, “Together, we created a success story that earned admiration around the world. People found shelter here and had food to eat. We have not forgotten those days.”

“We must stand by our youth”

Following the iftar program, Özvar also chaired the Senate Meeting of Mustafa Kemal University.

Speaking at the meeting, Özvar stated that he sees every student as his own child and addressed the academics as follows:

“We cannot afford to neglect any of our children; we must take care of them. We must act with this sense of responsibility. Every one of them is precious. We must stand by this youth. It is an extraordinary potential. Just imagine the energy—the energy of 6.5 million young people. Guiding and managing this energy is our responsibility.”

- Suhoor with students

As part of his program in Hatay, Özvar also had suhoor with university students staying at the Cemil Meriç Male Dormitory of the Higher Education Student Loans and Dormitories Institution.

During the visit, Özvar was accompanied by Vice President of the Council of Higher Education Prof. Naci Gündoğan and CoHE Executive Board Members Prof. Hüseyin Karaman and Prof. Erol Arcaklıoğlu.