Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan attends the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) at NEST Congress and Exhibition Center in Antalya, Turkiye on March 01, 2024.
ANTALYA
Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan welcomed international guests and held meetings with her counterparts and others on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that began in Türkiye on Friday.
"We were delighted to welcome the heads of states and governments, their esteemed spouses, and all of our international guests from around the globe to the third Antalya Diplomacy Forum," Erdogan said on X.
"The forum provides a crucial platform for dialogue and peace by bringing together people of various cultures, languages, and perspectives."
She hoped that diplomacy will find greater light "amidst the darkness of conflicts" and that "wars will cease to inflict further suffering on humanity."
Erdogan met Croatian President Gibarar Kitarovic, first lady of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Sibel Tatar, wife of TRNC premier Fatma Zerrin Ustel, Serbian first lady Tamara Vucic, and Queen Inkhosikati Lambikiza of Eswatini, among others.
She also held a meeting with economist Jeffrey Sachs, also the director of UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
"With Mr. Sachs, who gave us insightful information about sustainability and the ZeroWaste movement, we talked about areas of cooperation," she said. "We discussed the efforts being made in Türkiye in this respect and shared opinions. I thank him for all his contributions."
Meanwhile, Erdogan discussed aid operations in the Gaza Strip with Kate Forbes, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Israeli attacks since the Oct. 7 Hamas offensive have killed more than 30,000 people in the Palestinian enclave. The military campaign has also caused mass displacement, destruction and shortages of food and other necessities.
"I congratulated her on her new position and learned about the Federation's activities in Gaza, including how aid is being delivered," the first lady said.
"Reminding her of the children we transferred from Gaza to Türkiye for medical treatment, I expressed our readiness to lend a helping hand to all children in need who are victims of the war.
I congratulate all Red Crescent and Red Cross volunteers who act with conscience and compassion at the cost of their lives in times of turmoil."
*Writing by Alperen Aktas in Istanbul
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