AHBAP Volunteers Become Members of the Gülşah Durbay Youth Center

Mayor Eşki: “This center is a home of solidarity where young people will create together”

Thirty volunteers from AHBAP Association, studying at various universities in İzmir, visited the Gülşah Durbay Youth Center, recently opened by Bornova Municipality, and officially became members of the center. During the gathering, where Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki met with the young volunteers, discussions focused on solidarity, volunteerism, and youth projects. Mayor Eşki emphasized that the center was designed as a living space where young people can produce together and strengthen solidarity.

Founded in 2017 under the leadership of musician Haluk Levent, AHBAP Association is a civil society organization based on solidarity and mutual aid. Its volunteers visited the Gülşah Durbay Youth Center, recently opened by Bornova Municipality.

The meeting took place at the center named after Gülşah Durbay, the first female mayor of Manisa and Mayor of Şehzadeler, who passed away on December 14, 2025. During the visit, 30 AHBAP volunteers studying at universities across İzmir registered as members of the center. The young participants met with Mayor Ömer Eşki, learned about the opportunities offered by the center, and exchanged ideas on solidarity, youth initiatives, and social responsibility projects.

Mayor Ömer Eşki stated that young people are the driving force behind the culture of social solidarity and said:

“It is extremely valuable to see volunteer movements like AHBAP, which organize acts of kindness, becoming widespread among young people. We designed the Gülşah Durbay Youth Center not merely as a building, but as a living space where young people can create, share, and strengthen solidarity together. Every friendship, idea, and project born here will become a source of hope for the future.”

A Center for Production, Education, and Socialization

Located in the Ergene neighborhood at the entrance of the Historic Bornova Bazaar, the Gülşah Durbay Youth Center was designed to meet young people’s educational, creative, and social needs in one space.

The three-story, 250-square-meter center includes:

• a cafeteria,
• meeting areas,
• a free laundry service,
• a 3D printer production workshop,
• a green screen studio,
• and both quiet and collaborative study spaces.

The center primarily aims to support university students in both their academic and social lives.

During the visit, AHBAP volunteers toured the facility with municipal officials and closely examined the workshops, co-working areas, and social spaces. The students expressed particular appreciation for the center’s free services that ease student life and its production-oriented structure.

“Gülşah Durbay’s Dreams Will Live Through Young People”

Mayor Ömer Eşki also emphasized that the center represents a project of remembrance and loyalty:

“Despite her young age, Gülşah Durbay holds a very special place in our memories with her hardworking spirit, honesty, and the value she placed on young people. Keeping her name alive in a center where young people produce hope is a great responsibility for us. Here, Gülşah’s dreams will continue to grow through the energy of youth.”

The visit by AHBAP volunteers, known across Türkiye for reaching people in need through principles of transparency and honesty, once again demonstrated that the spirit of solidarity continues to grow among young people.