ANKARA
Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan on Saturday sent a letter to US first lady Melania Trump, urging her to extend the compassion she showed for the war in Ukraine to the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
In her letter, Erdogan greeted Trump with sincere love and respect, recalling their meeting at the White House in Washington six years ago. She said the warm conversation and gracious hospitality she experienced during their time together remain vivid in her memory.
Referring to a recent letter Trump sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the war in Ukraine, Erdogan said the sentiments expressed in that letter reflected a conscience deeply attuned to global issues.
‘Your compassion for orphaned children in Ukraine is an initiative that instills hope in people's hearts’
Erdogan praised Trump’s stance, writing: “As you stated in your letter, every child has the universal and undeniable right to grow up in a loving and safe environment. This right is not exclusive to any region, ethnicity, religion, or ideology. Supporting the oppressed who are denied this right is a fundamental responsibility toward the human family.”
“In this context, especially as the spouse of a leader, your compassion for the lives lost, families torn apart, and children left orphaned under the devastating effects of the war in Ukraine is an initiative that instills hope in hearts,” she wrote.
Erdogan emphasized that Trump’s request to bring back the joyful smiles of Ukrainian children who have been forced into silent laughter is “very meaningful.”
“I believe that you will demonstrate this important sensitivity, which you have shown for the 648 Ukrainian children who lost their lives in the war, even more strongly for Gaza, where 62,000 innocent civilians, including 18,000 children, were brutally murdered within two years,” she said.
‘Who would have thought we’d one day use the term ‘unknown soldier’ for children?’
Highlighting the unprecedented violence in Gaza, Erdogan cited the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which described Gaza as a hell on earth above ground and a graveyard for children below.
“Would it ever have occurred to us,” she asked, “that one day the term ‘unknown soldier’-- once used for fallen soldiers whose identities could not be confirmed-- would be used for children?”
“Today, the words 'unknown baby' written on the shrouds of thousands of Gazan children who have no one left behind them and whose names cannot even be identified are leaving irreparable wounds on our consciences,” Erdogan said.
“These children, driven into deep psychological ruin and having completely forgotten how to smile, scream into microphones that they want to die, carrying the exhaustion of a war they cannot cope with in their innocent hearts. In Gaza, history records that the hair of these tiny, orphaned children has turned gray from the indescribable pain and fear they have endured,” she added.
Erdogan emphasized that the silenced laughter of children was not unique to Ukraine, adding: “Sending a letter to Israeli Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu calling for an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza would carry immense significance.”
“At a time when the world is experiencing a collective awakening and the recognition of Palestine is turning into a global will, I believe that a call from you on behalf of Gaza will also fulfill a historic responsibility to the Palestinian people,” Erdogan said.
‘We must unite our voices against this broken global system’
Erdogan described the situation in Palestine as not only genocide, but also a manifestation of an arbitrary international order that deems some lives more valuable than others in the pursuit of power and comfort.
Calling for solidarity against this unjust system, she said: “We must unite our voices and strength against this distorted order that views the lives of some children as less valuable than others. We have a duty to uphold international law and shared human values, and to stand firm around our common principles.”
“Only then,” she added, “can we nourish hope for future generations increasingly driven to despair in the face of this brutality. Only then can we talk about bringing joy back to children whose laughter has been silenced, and of building a sustainable and lasting peace.”
“As a mother, a woman, and a human being, I deeply share the emotions expressed in your letter. I hope you will nurture the same hope for Gaza’s children, who long for peace and serenity,” she said.
Erdogan stressed that for the 18,885 babies and children in Gaza who have already been lost--like six-year-old Hind Rajab, who was shot 335 times, or three-year-old Rim, kissed goodbye by her grandfather with eyes full of joy-- it is already too late. “But for over one million children who have survived, we still have a chance. The time is long overdue,” she added.
