Emine Erdogan wrote to Melania Trump urging advocacy for Gaza’s children.
Türkiye’s First Lady Emine Erdogan sent a heartfelt letter to Melania Trump, requesting that she speak up for Palestinian children suffering under Israel’s military campaign. The letter, inspired by Melania’s earlier correspondence with Vladimir Putin on Ukrainian children, urged similar compassion for Gaza. Erdogan emphasized alarming figures—18,000 children and 62,000 civilians killed in less than two years—and asked Trump to raise the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Consequently, the appeal resonated internationally, drawing extensive coverage across continents.
Global media outlets widely reported on Erdogan’s emotional letter.
The BBC, Reuters, and The Telegraph highlighted her call, while Sky News noted her reminder of Melania’s empathy for Ukrainian victims. French outlets Le Point and Le Figaro echoed her plea, quoting her words: “As a mother, a woman and a human being…” German media, including NTV and Der Spiegel, stressed her depiction of Gaza’s “unknown babies” as a scar on human conscience. Meanwhile, Bulgaria’s bTV and Greece’s EFSYN underscored her insistence that children must not be forgotten amid conflict.
Coverage extended across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and beyond.
Swiss daily 20 Minuten and Belgium’s VRT emphasized Erdogan’s portrayal of Gaza as a “children’s cemetery.” Similarly, Czech, Bosnian, and Serbian outlets described her direct appeal for justice. In Asia, Singapore’s Straits Times, Australia’s 9News, and Malaysia’s Free Malaysia Today carried the story, as did Bangladesh’s state agency BSS. In South Asia, Dawn of Pakistan and The Times of India featured her message prominently, while Japan Today highlighted her call as a “historic responsibility.”
Middle Eastern and Russian media amplified Erdogan’s humanitarian appeal.
Al Jazeera, Sky News Arabia, and Saudi Arabia’s Sharq Al-Awsat detailed her plea, while Israeli papers Maariv and Yedioth Ahronot noted her call for pressure on Netanyahu. Russian agencies TASS and RIA echoed her demand for children’s protection, while Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan praised her moral courage. Thus, Emine Erdogan’s message travelled across borders, uniting voices on behalf of Gaza’s children.
