Construction of Turkish hospital in Haiti begins


Date posted: December 22, 2010

Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There), a Turkish charitable association, has laid the foundation for a 46-bed hospital in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince’s Croix-des-Bouquets district, which has a population of 500,000.

An estimated 200,000 people died in Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world, in January when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck. Hunger and health problems were among the biggest problems on this island nation even before the quake, but more serious issues emerged in its aftermath as most parts of the capital were reduced to rubble.

Kimse Yok Mu extended a helping hand to Haiti’s quake victims and launched an aid campaign titled “Haiti Waits for Emergency Help” to collect donations to help victims of the devastating quake. The association distributes food to 2,000 Haitians every day and has carried out 10,000 health screenings so far.

The association, which aimed to provide long-term and permanent assistance to the country, made the decision to construct a hospital and two schools in the country. The hospital’s foundation was laid on Monday in a groundbreaking ceremony attended by top Haitian officials.

Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Samsun deputy Binnur Şahinoğlu and Kimse Yok Mu President Mehmet Özkara as well as dozens of businessmen who were scheduled to go to Haiti from the US were unable to attend because the international airport in the capital was closed following violent protests that came after preliminary presidential election results were announced, but are widely considered suspect.

Özkara delivered a message at the ceremony in which he said Turks would continue to extend a helping hand to the Haitians.

Croix-des-Bouquets Mayor Jean Saint-Ange Darius also delivered a speech during the ceremony and thanked the association. Stating that Kimse Yok Mu has always stood next to the Haitians, the mayor thanked “the generous Turkish nation” for its assistance.

 

Source: Today's Zaman , 22 December 2010


Related News

Turkish journalist tells Staten Island group about censorship in his country

Turkish journalist Aydogan Vatandas warned Friday night at the Turkish Cultural Center of Staten Island in Dongan Hills that freedom of the press in his country is under siege.

A time for sacrifice

The sacrificial festival has many social aspects to it: it is all about charity, community and family, as well as the pilgrimage. During this holiday, people visit their relatives and friends; family ties are strengthened, and it gives children an opportunity to bond with the older generation. The sacrificial festival is a time for wishing one another well, exchanging gifts, having big feasts, donating and praying.

Turkish school extended help to Turks after earthquake in Nepal

Turkish tourists who were on a vacation in Nepal during a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Kathmandu on Saturday stated that Turkish school in the country used every means available to help them and other earthquake victims.

As Turks flee oppression, Ottawa urged to speak out on human rights issues

Asylum seekers are still fleeing Turkey for Canada and other western countries, Kaplan said. “There’s at least 14 families (in my neighbourhood in Ottawa). I mean ladies (with kids). All their husbands have been arrested (in Turkey,)” he said. The women are not comfortable speaking out publicly for fear it could imperil their husbands behind bars in Turkey, he added.

Turkey’s post-coup crackdown moves overseas

In several cases, Turkey has offered to run the seized institutions, although it is expected to face legal challenges. Kimse Yok Mu, which had more than 200,000 volunteers in 100 countries before being forcibly closed after the coup attempt, is understood to be preparing to take the decision to international courts. Joshua Hendrick, an expert on the Gulen movement said Ankara faced a big challenge when it came to stepping into the shoes of its former allies.

Turks fleeing post-coup reprisals find shelter in Pittsburgh

Until this summer, Cetin Gul of Istanbul, Turkey, worked as a videographer for a company that did promotional work for clients that included a charity organization. That charity, Hizmet, is associated with the movement of Fethullah Gulen. After a deadly and unsuccessful coup attempt by some in the Turkish military in July, the government began suppressing organizations associated with him. “Because of the direct association with Hizmet, I was a direct target,” Mr. Gul said.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Kids with Down syndrome suffer from major health problems in absence of jailed teacher father

State Department: US concerned by rhetoric from Turkey on Russian envoy killing

Turkish Cultural Center Holds Annual Friendship Dinner

Sarıgül’s first election promise: to protect İstanbul’s historic skyline

Pak-Turk schools’ 17th anniversary

Train, equip and persecute?

Kimse Yok Mu to launch 1000 “field schools” project in Africa

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News