Turkish First Lady Emine Erdoğan has penned a heartfelt letter to U.S. First Lady Melania Trump—urging her to extend the compassion she showed for Ukrainian children to those suffering in Gaza, and to address the humanitarian crisis with renewed urgency.
A Personal Reminder Anchored in Shared Memory
In her letter, Emine Erdoğan opens with warm recollections of her meeting with Melania Trump at the White House six years earlier, noting how their sincere conversation and gracious hospitality remain vivid in her memory.
Universal Rights Beyond Borders
Referencing Melania Trump’s recent letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding Ukrainian children, Emine Erdoğan praises her moral consciousness and highlights a universal truth: “Every child has the universal and undeniable right to grow up in a loving and safe environment”—a right not confined by geography, ethnicity, religion, or ideology.
From Silent Smiles to Cries for Life
Noting Melania’s solidarity with “648 Ukrainian children who lost their lives,” Emine Erdoğan presses for equal or greater advocacy for Gaza. She states Gaza has seen “62,000 innocent civilians, including 18,000 children, brutally murdered within two years”.
A Graveyard for Children—The “Unknown Baby”
Drawing on UNICEF’s stark description of Gaza, Emine Erdoğan laments its transformation into “a hell on earth above ground and a graveyard for children below.” She powerfully questions whether we’d ever imagine the term “unknown soldier” being used for children. Today, coffins marked “unknown baby” bear witness to thousands of unidentifiable Gazan children—a scar on humanity’s conscience.
Unrelenting Trauma, Lost Innocence
She describes the psychological ruin inflicted on surviving children—those who’ve forgotten how to smile, who scream into microphones that they want to die, their innocence crushed. In some cases, the trauma has even turned their hair gray from unimaginable pain and fear.
A Plea for a Historic Voice of Conscience
Emine Erdoğan urges Melania Trump to write to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for an end to the humanitarian crisis. At a time when global recognition of Palestine is rising, such a gesture would fulfill a “historic responsibility” toward the Palestinian people.
Standing Against a Distorted Global Order
The letter frames this crisis as part of a larger injustice: a distorted international order where some lives are valued less than others. Emine Erdoğan calls for solidarity against this injustice, stressing the defense of international law and shared human values.
Time Is Running Out, But Not Yet Too Late
As a mother, a woman, and a human being, Emine Erdoğan shares deeply in Melania’s sentiments and appeals for the same hope to be extended to Gaza’s children. She mourns the 18,885 babies and children already lost—including Hind Rajab, age six, killed with 335 bullets, and three-year-old Rim, kissed goodbye by her grandfather with a joyful look—but insists it’s not too late for over one million surviving children. “The time is long overdue,” she concludes.
This letter, widely published—including by Anadolu Agency and Reuters—stands as a poignant diplomatic appeal rooted in shared humanity and moral responsibility.