Turkish first lady visits orphanage in Kazakhstan

ASTANA, Kazakhstan

Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan on Thursday paid a visit to an orphanage for disadvantaged children in Kazakhstan's capital Astana.

Accompanying Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who came to the city for a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, the Turkish first lady met with young people at the center.

As she learned from orphanage officials about the 76 students at the orphanage – Kazakh, Uzbek and Russian children age 13-15 – she visited classrooms and gave gifts to the children.

Erdogan also saw photos from her earlier visit to the orphanage, in 2017, hanging on the walls.

The children at the center, supported by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), the Turkish state-run aid agency, read out poems and showed Erdogan their artwork.

The orphanage officials thanked the first lady for Türkiye's support and expressed gratitude for her visit.