Türkiye’s first lady urges global action to protect children in conflict zones

By Irem Demir and Fatma Zehra Solmaz

SAMARKAND/ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye’s first lady Emine Erdogan on Wednesday called for global efforts to protect children, particularly those living in conflict zones, saying their needs must remain at the center of the international agenda.

“As representatives of more than 100 countries, we are gathered here to provide fair and equal opportunities for all children around the world and to give voice to their needs,” Erdogan said at the World Summit on Investing in the Well-being of Children: A Path to Sustainable and Equitable Development for Future Generations in Samarkand.

“Let us raise this voice to address the problems of children living in war zones, who cannot even dream of a future,” she added.

Erdogan said investment in child well-being was directly linked to a society’s sustainable development and future, stressing that traditional indicators should be reassessed to reflect the challenges children face today.

She said access to food, shelter, security, education, and health care remained essential, while climate change, armed conflicts, forced displacement, and emerging digital threats must also be taken into account.

She cited climate anxiety, artificial intelligence, digital violence, and the exploitation of attention as emerging challenges requiring a broader understanding of child well-being.

- 700,000 students in Gaza deprived of their right to education

Erdogan urged participants to pay particular attention to children living through war, highlighting the stark contrast between children attending school in some parts of the world and those fleeing air raid sirens elsewhere.

She said 60% of deaths from childhood cancer occurred in areas affected by armed conflict.

More than 21,000 children have been killed in Gaza over the past three years, Erdogan said, adding that more than 10,000 had suffered permanent disabilities or lost limbs.

"Children in Gaza deprived of their childhood," she added.

She said 197 ambulances, 38 hospitals, and 96 health centers had been bombed and rendered inoperable.

"Some 700,000 students have been deprived of their right to education. Today, more than 1 million children in Gaza live with the hope of being able to enjoy the rights and conditions of child well-being," she added. “A world where no one is left behind is possible only when the sirens of war fall silent."

Erdogan thanked Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, wife of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, for hosting the summit and expressed hope that the gathering would benefit children and humanity.

The summit brought together representatives from more than 100 countries. Türkiye’s Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas and Dr. Esra Albayrak, chair of the board of the NUN Education and Culture Foundation, also attended.

- Türkiye one of first countries to take action to protect children from digital world risks

Erdogan said Türkiye was developing social policies that address children’s physical, mental, emotional and moral needs.

She noted that 2025 was declared the Year of the Family and that Türkiye had designated 2026-2035 as the “Decade of Family and Population.”

She also highlighted Türkiye’s Digital Children’s Rights Convention, saying the country was among the first to take action to protect children from risks in the digital world.

Erdogan said Türkiye had restricted social media access for children under 15 years old and introduced obligations for platforms, including age verification and parental controls.

The first lady also cited the country’s Foster Family Project, which she said provides care for more than 11,000 children, including children displaced by war.

“Children are the heart of humanity. Issues concerning them must always remain at the center of the global agenda,” she said.

İrem Demir