First lady Emine Erdoğan has praised the resilience and solidarity of the Ukrainian people amid the war, saying their determination to preserve social unity and protect their future offers one of the latest examples of societies overcoming severe crises through collective strength.
Speaking via video message to the sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv on Tuesday, Erdoğan said the unity demonstrated by Ukrainians during more than four years of war showed the importance of strong social bonds in times of profound hardship.
“During the war that has continued for more than four years, the unity and solidarity demonstrated by the Ukrainian people is one of the most recent examples of overcoming severe challenges through social resilience,” Erdoğan said.
She congratulated Ukraine on the 35th anniversary of its Independence Day and conveyed her wishes for peace, tranquility and well-being to the Ukrainian people.
“Children continue their education, women are taking responsibility in every sphere of life, and the Ukrainian people are embracing their future through their inspiring struggle,” she said.
Erdoğan also expressed her gratitude to Olena Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for hosting the gathering and wished the summit success.
Erdoğan has been among the first ladies who have called for peace since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, raising the issue on various platforms and supporting initiatives and events focused on humanitarian concerns and peace.
At the Kyiv summit, Erdoğan placed Ukraine’s experience within a broader discussion of how societies can withstand crises, drawing on Türkiye’s own traditions of solidarity, philanthropy and social responsibility.
She said every society has its own set of values shaped by its history, faith and collective memory, emphasizing that volunteerism, philanthropy and solidarity are among the defining characteristics of Turkish society.
Recalling that more than 26,000 charitable foundations were established during the Ottoman era, Erdoğan said this legacy led the civilization to be described as a “waqf civilization.”
She noted that these foundations were created to address a wide range of social needs, from caring for the elderly and protecting orphans to paying the debts of people in financial difficulty and even treating injured or sick birds.
Erdoğan said this tradition has continued in Turkish culture through the concept of “hamilik,” or protection.
She added that this humanitarian experience, accumulated over centuries, transformed sharing both the joys and hardships of life into a collective social practice.
Erdoğan said the strength of such social ties is particularly important in the modern world, where people are increasingly isolated despite living among large crowds.
As bonds between individuals weaken, she warned, societies also become less resilient in the face of crises.
“Yet in Anatolia, compassionate people who heed every call for help make a person feel as though they are within a great circle of trust,” Erdoğan said. “They strengthen the sense of belonging and remind us that people can rely on one another in difficult times.”
She described these values as the foundation of Turkish society’s resilience, saying strong social bonds had helped Türkiye overcome difficult challenges throughout its history.
Erdoğan cited the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes as a particularly powerful example, noting that more than 50,000 people lost their lives in the disaster.
“The epic spirit of solidarity that emerged from that great destruction became one of the strongest manifestations of our understanding that ‘a person is another person’s homeland,’” she said.
The experience showed the world once again, she added, that “the greatest strength of societies is their ability to become one in difficult times.”
Erdoğan said she regarded the experiences shared at the summit as an important contribution to a common future and expressed hope that lessons from different societies and cultures would help humanity overcome the deep crises it faces.
In a social media post following her address, Erdoğan said she was pleased to participate via video message in the Kyiv summit.
“I hope that the experiences of different societies and cultures shared at this meaningful summit on social resilience will serve as a guide in overcoming the deep crises facing humanity,” she said.
