“Health is a universal responsibility”: New health centre in Istanbul inaugurated under SHIFA Project
Istanbul, 11 February 2026 – A new health centre was inaugurated in the Sultanbeyli district of Istanbul today under the Strengthening Healthcare Infrastructure for All (SHIFA) Project. SHIFA, a €140 million European Union (EU)-funded initiative – implemented by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Türkiye with support from the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) – aims to improve healthcare access for refugees, persons under subsidiary protection and host communities across Türkiye.
The new health centre, a 3 000 m² multi-storey facility, constructed at a cost of approximately €2.2 million, will offer a range of preventive, diagnostic and follow‑up services to meet the needs of both host and refugee communities. With 18 doctors, in addition to multidisciplinary health personnel comprising nurses, midwives, family health staff, psychologists, social workers and laboratory and x-ray technicians, it is expected to serve approximately 20 000 outpatients every month, strengthening healthcare capacity in Sultanbeyli, one of Istanbul’s most densely populated and socio-economically diverse districts. Designed to provide a broader package of services than a standard health centre, the facility should expand service coverage and ease pressure on hospitals in the district.
This new centre is part of the broader SHIFA Project, which aims to construct or renovate up to 80 health centres and up to 110 hospital-based physical therapy units, in addition to providing medical equipment across Türkiye by end-2027.
The inauguration of the Sultanbeyli health centre was hosted by the Ministry of Health of Türkiye, and brought together key representatives from the Municipality of Sultanbeyli, Provincial Health Directorate of Istanbul, the Delegation of the EU to Türkiye, and the CEB. Among the speakers were CEB Governor Carlo Monticelli; Maria Luisa Wyganowski, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation; Ali Tombaş, Mayor of Sultanbeyli; Kemal Şahin, District Governor of Sultanbeyli, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammed Emin Demirkol, General Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health.
Governor Monticelli stated: “The CEB takes pride in financing social investment that produces a lasting impact. Since its establishment 70 years ago, the CEB has provided more than €9 billion in financing to Türkiye, one of the Bank’s founding members. This long and fruitful partnership reflects the CEB’s enduring commitment to building resilience, strengthening communities and ensuring equitable access to essential services across Türkiye and beyond.”
On behalf of the SHIFA donor, the EU, Ms. Wyganowski thanked the Ministry of Health, CEB, local authorities, and all partners involved in the Project, and emphasised: “What we see here in Sultanbeyli reflects a much broader commitment. For the European Union, health has been a priority in Türkiye since 2016. Over the years, we have invested more than one billion euros in this field, and supported healthcare services and infrastructure across 32 provinces.”
Mayor Tombaş stated: "Sultanbeyli is one of İstanbul's youngest and fastest-growing districts, home to approximately 400 000 residents. As a municipality, we are committed to matching that growth with investments in health, education and social infrastructure. Providing the land for this centre was our way of ensuring that every resident of Sultanbeyli – regardless of their background – has access to quality care close to home."
District Governor Şahin said: “This centre opens at exactly the right moment. Sultanbeyli is a welcoming, well-connected district, home to local families and thousands of foreign nationals alike. With this facility, every person in our community can now access high-quality, first-level healthcare in their own language, close to where they live. That is what inclusive governance looks like in practice.”
Concluding the opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Demirkol underlined: “Health is a universal responsibility that knows no borders. The SHIFA Project – a €2.2 million investment in Sultanbeyli alone – brings together Türkiye's established healthcare infrastructure and international financial support to deliver real results for real people. This centre will bring together extended primary healthcare services, specialist physician support and psychosocial services under one roof.”
SHIFA Projesi kapsamında İstanbul’da yeni bir sağlık merkezi açıldı
''اﻟﺻﺣﺔ ﻣﺳؤوﻟﯾﺔ ﻋﺎﻟﻣﯾﺔ:" ﺗم اﻓﺗﺗﺎح ﻣرﻛز ﺻﺣﻲ ﺟدﯾد ﻓﻲ اﺳطﻧﺑول ﻓﻲ إطﺎر ﻣﺷروع ﺷﻔﺎء