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First lady Emine Erdoğan has called on U.S. first lady Melania Trump to show the same compassion for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as she has for children affected by the war in Ukraine.
In a letter released Saturday, Erdoğan praised Trump’s earlier outreach on behalf of Ukrainian children, describing it as “an initiative that inspires hope in hearts.” She urged Trump to extend that advocacy to Palestinian children, saying Gaza had become “a children’s cemetery” where one child is killed nearly every hour. “The phrase ‘unknown baby,’ written on the shrouds of thousands of Gazan children, opens irreparable wounds in our consciences,” Erdoğan wrote.
“Just as you defended the rights of Ukrainian children, I believe you will show the same sensitivity for the children of Gaza.” Erdoğan suggested that Trump could send a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for an end to what she described as “the most painful genocide of our time. She said the suffering of Gaza’s children reflected a distorted global order that devalues some lives more than others. “We must unite our voices and strength against this injustice,” Erdoğan wrote, urging greater international solidarity. Framing her appeal as both personal and political, Erdoğan wrote: “As a mother, a woman, and a human being, I hope you will cultivate the same hope for the children of Gaza, who yearn for peace and tranquility. It’s too late for those we lost, but not for the million children who survive.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has tried to act as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine during the war, which is in its fourth year.
Last Tuesday, Erdoğan accused Israel of using hunger as a weapon in Gaza, saying the images coming from the Palestinian enclave were worse than “Nazi camps.”
The United Nations officially declared a famine in Gaza on Friday.
Israel’s continued war crimes and violations of international law, left unpunished by the international community, have emboldened its reckless policies in Gaza and fueled the famine gripping the enclave, Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday.
In a written statement, the ministry pointed to the latest U.N.-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report and remarks by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, saying both highlight “the extent of the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the genocidal policies implemented by (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s government against Palestinians in Gaza.” “What emboldens and recklessly drives Israel is the impunity it has given to its war crimes and violations of international law,” the ministry said. The statement underlined that establishing a permanent cease-fire, holding those responsible accountable in court, and ensuring uninterrupted humanitarian access are “among the most fundamental obligations of international law and humanity.” Türkiye, it added, “will continue its unwavering support for the just struggle of the Palestinian people.”
According to the IPC report, famine was confirmed in Gaza City as of Aug. 15, with the enclave reaching Level 5 of the classification system, defined as “catastrophe.”
“After 22 months of brutal conflict, more than half a million people in the Gaza Strip face catastrophic conditions characterized by hunger, poverty, and death,” the report said.
Türkiye is a staunch defender of the Palestinian cause and a firm opponent of genocidal policies of Israel against Palestinians in Gaza and beyond. Since the renewed conflict between Israel and the Palestinians began in 2023, it sought a lasting solution to the underlying causes of the conflict and advocated for two states in the territories to put an end to hostilities for good. Yet, Israel ignored calls and, encouraged by the inaction of much of the international community, it further expanded the conflict to other countries as well, such as Lebanon and Syria. Israel’s expansionism is a major concern for Ankara, which at one point openly accused the Netanyahu administration of preparing to target Türkiye next after Lebanon.
Devlet Bahçeli, head of government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), on Saturday accused Israel of pursuing an annexation plan in Gaza and urged the international community to halt arms shipments to the country, warning that humanitarian law was being trampled.
“The occupation of Gaza has been followed by a plan for annexation. Zionist imperialist aggression has gone mad and spun out of control. International humanitarian law lies in ruins,” Bahçeli said in a written statement.
Citing a United Nations food security report that warned acute hunger in Gaza had reached its highest levels, Bahçeli said the territory was facing a catastrophic famine reminiscent of the 1943 Bengal famine.
“To witness children dying of hunger in the first quarter of the 21st century, and beyond that to witness oppression and genocide, is not only tragic but a source of shame for anyone who calls themselves human,” he said, accusing Israel of seeking to “swallow Gaza and even the West Bank” by displacing Palestinians through “a spiral of violence and terror.”
Bahçeli criticized Western leaders for what he called hypocrisy in focusing on Ukraine while neglecting Gaza. He said any peace efforts lacking a plan to end the crisis in Gaza were “morally and legally inconsistent.”
He backed President Erdoğan’s calls for dialogue and peace initiatives, saying Türkiye sought lasting stability at home and abroad. “Türkiye is the voice of the voiceless and the breath of the oppressed,” he said, adding that a durable settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war should build on talks that began in Istanbul.
Bahçeli also endorsed a set of proposals announced by international rights advocates, urging the suspension of diplomatic ties with Israel, halting trade and investment, and imposing sanctions. “Above all, arms shipments to Israel must stop without delay,” he said.
Stance of Türkiye
Turning to domestic politics, Bahçeli dismissed the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) call for an extraordinary parliamentary session on Gaza as unnecessary, underlining that Türkiye already spoke about what should be talked about the issue and it was time for action rather than words. “Stance of Türkiye, which took every possibility into consideration and pursued a brave and agile political will, its persistent views shared on the regional and global level are already obvious,” he said.
He accused the CHP of exploiting the issue for political gain and said the ruling People’s Alliance, led by his party and President Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party), remained united. “The People’s Alliance is the hope of the Turkish nation and the guarantee of our future,” he said. “No one will be able to sow discord between us.”
