07.03.2026 21:11
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made statements at the iftar program held on the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8. Highlighting the events in Iran, which is under attack by the US and Israel, Erdoğan said, "I salute the Iranian mothers with burning hearts, I share their pain. It is women who bear the pain of the conflicts."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated, "I salute the grieving Iranian mothers, I share their pain. Women are the ones suffering the most from the pain of conflicts."
President Erdoğan made striking statements at the iftar program held on the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8.
"WOMEN SUFFER THE MOST FROM THE PAIN OF CONFLICTS"
Expressing, "I pray for mercy and forgiveness from my Lord for all the women we have lost to terrorism and violence in our country, along with those who have lost their lives due to wars and oppressions," Erdoğan said, "We are welcoming International Women's Day at a time when women's issues are worsening globally, especially in our immediate surroundings where women are experiencing very difficult days. I believe that everyone who puts their hand on their conscience can see the picture very clearly.
HONORED IRANIAN MOTHERS
Unfortunately, today there are conflicts in various parts of the world, especially in our region. Women are suffering the most from this pain. Today, the world is facing a great injustice in income distribution; women are the most affected by this. Today, there is discrimination stemming from superstitions, tribalism, and wrong customs and traditions in the world; this situation negatively affects women the most. I salute the grieving Iranian mothers, I share their pain," he said.
"WE STRIVE TO BE A BALM WHEREVER THERE IS A WOUND"
President Erdoğan's statements were as follows: "We are among the countries that give the strongest response to all these oppressions; we object to discrimination and lawlessness wherever it may be. Just like in our neighbor Iran, we strive to bring water to wherever there is a fire; we try to be a balm wherever there is a wound. The greatest guardian of our country's dignified stance, which centers on humanitarian values, is our sisters. Despite all the negativity that breaks our hopes, I thank you all once again for your support for our blessed struggle, believing that a fairer world is possible.
I would like to proudly and gratefully express this: If our state is, as the late Kemal Tahir said, "Mother State," it is thanks to your encompassing maternal compassion and dedication. If we have managed to lift our country, which was exhausted after consecutive wars and the last War of Independence, and if we have strengthened our Republic to reach 103 years by empowering it every day, it is due to the undeniable contributions and sacrifices of women.
"WOMEN ARE NOT BEHIND MEN, BUT RATHER BY THEIR SIDE"
Despite all the difficulties and obstacles they face, women have made unique contributions to production and work, putting their lives on the line. Women are not behind men; on the contrary, they are right beside them. Shoulder to shoulder, regardless of gender, we are all inseparable parts of a whole. Regardless of gender, we are all the rose of the same bond, the strings of the same instrument. Anyone who discriminates for any reason or under any pretext is betraying the values that constitute the essential identity of this nation. Anyone who inflicts violence on women and children, or worse, oppresses them, is devoid of humanity. Those who confine women and men to a gendered framework are actually obscuring the fact that both are human beings first.
GAVE THE NUMBERS
Since the day we stepped onto the political stage with this understanding, we have made efforts for women to participate actively and equally in social and political life. We have fought hard to break entrenched prejudices and eliminate wrongful practices. Our guests here and our citizens watching us from their screens know very well what we have done to strengthen the status of women and remove the obstacles in front of them. I find it useful to share some regulations and figures with you that summarize our efforts.
When we took office, the female labor force participation rate was 27.9%, and we increased it to 34.7%. During the same period, the female employment rate rose from 25.3% to 31.7%. Another success of ours is political representation. In 2002, there were only 24 female members of parliament; in the last elections, this number increased to 119. The representation rate of women in the Parliament reached 19.83% with a fivefold increase. We see the same success in the rate of female public employees. We opened all the doors that the tutelary mentality of February 28 had closed to women in the public sector. By lifting the headscarf ban, we ensured that women can work in all layers of bureaucracy without facing any obstacles or pressures.
"THE RATE OF FEMALE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES INCREASED TO 43.38%"
We have broken down all the walls that were erected in front of women in professions that were kept outside their reach, such as academia, civil service, judiciary, and military. Today, not only the women who cannot be persuaded from the persuasion rooms but also their children are working in every institution, making their presence felt in the public sphere, and standing out with their successes in the business and political world. Women are no longer forced to choose between living according to their beliefs and pursuing their dream professions. As an indication of this result, the rate of female public employees has increased from 34.2% to 43.38% in just the last 12 years.
"OUR BLEEDING WOUND IS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN"
Another bleeding wound of ours is violence against women and children. We have always acted with a "zero tolerance" approach in this regard. With the amendment we made to the Turkish Penal Code in 2005, we crossed an important threshold in preventing violence against women. In 2012, we enacted Law No. 6284 on the Protection of Family and Prevention of Violence Against Women, which mandated municipalities with populations exceeding 100,000 to open shelters. In 2014, we increased penalties for sexual offenses with the regulation we made in our Penal Code. In 2020, we established specialized courts under Law No. 6284. In 2021 and 2022, we strengthened deterrence by increasing penalties for crimes committed against women. In 2023, we confirmed and registered our sensitivity on this issue with the Presidential General Circular we published.
We increased the number of our Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centers to 86. Our 112 women's shelters affiliated with our Ministry are currently serving in all 81 provinces. We made our protective and preventive services accessible with the social service centers, which we increased to 434, and violence prevention contact points. With the Alo 183 hotline and our Women's Support Application KADES, we are there for women 24/7 for their smallest troubles. If we were to start counting here, we would spend hours listing many administrative and legal regulations, reforms, measures, and penalties we have implemented. Our stance on violence against women and children is clear: Violence against women, regardless of its name, is a betrayal to humanity.