Supporting local communities is one of Shangri-La Group’s core values rooted in its Asian heritage. The Group is upholding this value in Hatay, Türkiye, where it has donated 300 containers as temporary homes in collaboration with the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).
The homes are built to support families impacted by the February 2023 earthquake, giving them much-needed shelter and enabling them to begin to put their lives back together.

Following the lead of the People’s Republic of China’s Government and the Hong Kong SAR Government, which implemented several rescue initiatives in Türkiye immediately following the earthquake, Shangri-La developed Dostluk Kenti (“Friendship City”) to house 300 families in the disaster-struck region of Hatay. The Group is committed to good corporate citizenship, sustainable development and making a positive impact on their communities.

Friendship City will house more than 1,200 displaced Hatay residents, including education and healthcare workers and their families. The opening of Friendship City on 5 July 2023 was officiated by Liu Yuhua, Minister Counselor of Economy and Commerce of the Chinese Embassy in Ankara, AFAD Hatay Temporary Shelter Areas Coordinator Güray Karakaya and Director of AFAD (Konya) Yıldız Tosun, Shangri-La Group’s Regional CEO Kong Leong Chan, Independent Non-executive Board Director Shulamite Khoo, Chief Human Resources Officer George Tan, Mustafa Kemal University Rector Veysel Eren, and Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul’s Partner Merve Tanrıverdi and General Manager TJ Joulak.

Friendship City was made possible through donations by Shangri-La employees worldwide, which were matched by the Group. According to local officials, the project also made Shangri-La the first international hospitality Group and the first multinational corporation to contribute to this type of relief effort in Türkiye.

Hui Kuok, Chairman of Shangri-La Group, said, “We hope that Friendship City is a small but meaningful gesture to show our support to those who are taking their first steps on the long road towards the communities’ full recovery. I am heartened that our colleagues, both in Istanbul and worldwide, having just navigated the difficult Covid days, have put aside their own concerns and supported this meaningful project. I would like to thank the Turkish government, especially the provincial government of Hatay, for their strong support in making this project a reality. Last but not least, I would also like to thank Tanriverdi Holdings and Ms. Merve Tanriverdi, the partner of our Istanbul hotel, who were in complete agreement with us on what had to be done in Hatay to help those in need. We are honoured that we were able to play a part to bring together all members of the community to help rebuild Hatay’s future.”

Liu Yuhua, Minister Counsellor of Economy and Commerce of the Chinese Embassy in Ankara, said, “Today, we are witnessing the completion and handover ceremony of the Hatay Friendship City. In recent years, under the strategic leadership of the leaders of the two countries and the joint efforts of the two sides, the China-Türkiye strategic co-operation relationship has been developing steadily. After the earthquake disaster in Türkiye, all sectors from China actively extended a helping hand, fully reflecting the friendly ties between the two countries and the two peoples. The efforts of all Chinese organisations made a significant contribution to the earthquake and relief work, vividly proving the Turkish proverb “A true friend appears in the most difficult times”. China has a similar proverb: “A friend is known on a black day”. This situation shows that not only our hearts are united, but also our cultures are similar to each other.”

Wei Xiaodong, Consulate General of China in Istanbul, Türkiye said, “The word Shangri-La means a calm and peaceful ideal world in Chinese. Shangri-La Group reflects this philosophy in its corporate culture and services and continues its activities as a window to Chinese culture in the world. I believe that the Friendship City project implemented by Shangri-La to heal the wounds after the earthquakes in Türkiye proves the group’s awareness of social responsibility and its sincere perspective toward the Turkish people. As stated by our Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping, China and Türkiye are among the important developing countries with their strategic partnership in both political and economic terms.” 

Veysel Eren, Mustafa Kemal University Rector said, “Hatay is the province that suffered the most damage and loss of life in the earthquakes that occurred on 6 February and affected 11 provinces. Mustafa Kemal University was one of the universities most affected by the earthquakes. We lost 95 staff and 276 students and most of our staff lost their homes in the earthquake. This area we are in is 80 hectares of land belonging to the vocational school of our university. When we received an offer from AFAD to provide shelter, we accepted it without hesitation. I am happy that our own staff can also be accommodated in these containers. I would like to take this opportunity to thank AFAD and Shangri-La Group for their contribution to the creation of this city.”

Recep Tanrıverdi, Partner Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul said, “As Tanrıverdi and the Kuok family, we set out to alleviate the pain of this unexpected nationwide disaster with the strength of having a structure that acts as a bridge between Türkiye-China and Hong Kong. I would like to express my gratitude to our business partner (Shangri-La Group) who helped us from abroad and to the honourable general manager by enduring this difficulty together with us throughout the process, and to the AFAD group who put their all into this aid project as always.”

Güray Karakaya, Hatay Temporary Shelter Areas Coordinator of AFAD, said, “While we are deeply grieving for those we have lost, we are experiencing the bitter joy of supporting the survivors to some extent. On the occasion of this opening, I would like to thank and express my gratitude to the valuable members of the Shangri-La Group who supported the establishment of Hatay Friendship City.”

The temporary homes are designed with the needs and comfort of prospective residents in mind. Built to withstand the region’s harsh and changeable weather conditions, these reinforced structures offer a safe and secure living environment for those who currently have no other accommodations. They also include a variety of essential amenities, such as plumbing and electricity, and basic furnishings including beds, chairs, and, and refrigerators, demonstrating Shangri-La’s heartfelt Asian hospitality and concern for the wellbeing of those who will live in these houses.

In addition to providing shelter, Shangri-La is supporting a number of children undergoing cancer treatment in the impacted region, sponsoring education and psycho-social support for families.

Shangri-La strives to be a leader in corporate citizenship and sustainable development. It has built long-lasting and meaningful partnerships with its communities over many years in China and in different parts of the world. Helping others is one of its core values at Shangri-La and is a clear part of its Asian heritage.

During the Covid pandemic when the communities it serves were affected economically and emotionally, it created long-lasting impact by having its teams deliver groceries, hot meals and care packages directly to vulnerable families, benefiting around 200,000 people.

About Shangri-La Group:

Shangri-La Group is one of the world’s premier developers, owners and managers of hotel and investment properties which comprises office buildings, commercial real estate and serviced apartments/residences. The Group’s other principal activities include hotel management services as well as property development for sale. It currently owns and/or manages over 100 hotels globally in 76 destinations under the Shangri-La, Kerry, JEN by Shangri-La and Traders brands. Prominently positioned in Asia, the Group has a substantial pipeline of upcoming hotel and mixed-use development projects in Australia, Chinese Mainland, Cambodia, and Japan. For more information, please visit https://www.shangri-la.com/group.