Mersin Governor Ali Hamza Pehlivan announced the completion of the Mersin Youth Center, a groundbreaking initiative in Türkiye.
"The opening of our Accessible Youth Center is imminent, and soon we will begin serving our citizens. We will host up to 120 disabled individuals and their families here on a rotating basis," he said.
Pehlivan conducted an inspection of the Mersin Accessible Youth Center in Mezitli district, which is the first of its kind in Türkiye, built by the Youth and Sports Ministry in the Yeni Mahalle area.
During the inspection, Pehlivan received information from the Provincial Youth and Sports Director Ökkeş Demir and representatives of the contracting company.
He emphasized that the Mezitli Accessible Youth Center is a pioneering facility in Türkiye.
Pehlivan confirmed the completion of construction activities, stating: "Currently, our Youth and Sports Provincial Directorate, in collaboration with the Provincial Directorate of National Education, is carrying out interior design and furnishing works, including the wooden parts of the Youth Center, as per the protocol established between the institutions. The Accessible Youth Center is situated on approximately 23 acres of land, with a closed area of around 4,500 square meters and an additional 800 square meters of open-use space."
Pehlivan also highlighted that the center will cater to disabled individuals, offering facilities such as a sports hall, a 120-square-meter hydrotherapy pool, a basketball court, a closed sports hall, a street football field, changing rooms, a shelter, 10 workshop classrooms, a meeting room, a reading room, an instructor room, prayer rooms, a cafeteria, a kitchen and parking.
The center will host up to 120 disabled individuals and their families on a rotating basis, following the Youth and Sports Ministry's curriculum.
Additionally, nearly a thousand disabled individuals will benefit from this facility daily.
The Provincial Directorate of National Education, the Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services, and various NGOs will collaborate to deliver services at the center.
The governor also mentioned the completion and upcoming opening of youth centers in the Toroslar, Tarsus, Yenişehir and Silifke districts, bringing the total to five major facilities in the investment program, all aligned with the Youth and Sports Ministry's investment agenda.
He expressed gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Youth and Sports Ministry for their support in realizing these investments, extending thanks to everyone involved in the construction process and wishing the facilities beneficial outcomes for all citizens of Mersin.