18.02.2025 19:20
Emine Erdoğan, the wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, visited the Eryaman Children's Home Complex, where Ukrainian children affected by the war are staying, along with Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is on an official visit to Turkey.
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First Lady Emine Erdoğan, upon her arrival at the Eryaman Children's Houses Site in the Güzelkent neighborhood of the Etimesgut district, was welcomed by the Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Etimesgut District Governor Özlem Bozkurt Gevrek, and the director of the institution, Serap Sağlam Tekneci. Later, Emine Erdoğan welcomed Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The children staying at the Children's Houses Site presented bouquets made of flowers in the colors of the Ukrainian flag to Emine Erdoğan and in the colors of the Turkish flag to Olena Zelenska during the welcome. Emine Erdoğan and Olena Zelenska then toured the Eryaman Children's Houses Site, which houses 12 Ukrainian children, including 10 orphans and 2 children of accompanying staff, who had to leave their country due to the Ukraine-Russia war, and received information from Director Serap Sağlam Tekneci.
THEY PLAYED GAMES WITH THE CHILDREN The first ladies closely engaged with children with special needs and various health issues, playing various games with them. Emine Erdoğan also received information about the current status of 10-year-old Myhailo Popazav, who needs to undergo plastic surgery and for whom she had previously given necessary instructions. The first ladies toured an exhibition of handicrafts made by the children and later read stories to the children they played games with in a classroom. After watching the children's dance and music performance, Emine Erdoğan and Olena Zelenska gave various gifts to the children. After the performance, the children presented Zelenska with a photo collage depicting their memories at the Eryaman Children's Houses Site since November 2022. At the end of the program, a family photo was taken.
THE FIRST LADIES DISCUSSED THE EVACUATION OF CHILDREN Emine Erdoğan and Olena Zelenska had agreed on the evacuation of 70 Ukrainian war victims, including 34 orphans and children in need of protection, and 13 children of care staff, from the Sonechka Children's Home in Odesa, Ukraine, after the war began. Following this, the children and their escorts were transferred to the Eryaman Children's Houses Site on November 20, 2022. The return of 24 of the children to Ukraine for adoption and foster care services was facilitated. As of the beginning of this year, there are 19 Ukrainian war victims at the Children's Houses Site, including 10 orphans and children in need of protection, 2 children of care staff, and 7 female care staff/escorts.
"TURKEY SEES STANDING BY THE OPPRESSED AS A HUMANITY DUTY" Emine Erdoğan shared the following statements on her social media account regarding her visit to the Children's Houses Site: "Humanity gains meaning especially when it can protect children. Together with the esteemed wife of the President of Ukraine, Mrs. Olena Zelenska, we visited our Ukrainian orphan children whom we are hosting in our country at the Children's Home in Ankara. The children, who have been continuing their education in peace and security in Turkey for three years, are our greatest inspiration that peace is possible. We were happy to learn that many of the children we hosted today have found new families in Ukraine. Turkey sees standing by the oppressed and healing the wounds of war not as a responsibility but as a duty of humanity. We believe that the only future every child deserves is a world where they grow up with love, strengthened by knowledge, and live with hope. We see this meaningful meeting as a testament to our determination to build the futures of our children, who are the common trust of humanity, together, and we hope that Ukraine will soon return to peaceful days."
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