First lady Emine Erdoğan delivered a passionate plea for global justice and solidarity during her keynote speech at the “Brotherhood-Based Economy: Ethical Multilateralism” conference at the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
Speaking to an audience that included U.N. Sustainable Development Network President Jeffrey Sachs, Cardinal Peter Turkson and U.N. Alliance of Civilizations High Representative Miguel Angel Moratinos, Erdoğan described the motto “the world is bigger than five” as “the manifesto of the oppressed” and a “great call for global justice.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan introduced the phrase “the world is bigger than five” in 2013, referring to the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. Türkiye has argued that the veto power held by these five countries undermines the effectiveness of the U.N.
Emphasizing the interconnectedness of humanity, the first lady said, “We are all members of a big human family gathered around the earthly table.”
Citing statistics such as 150 million orphaned children, 244 million lacking education, and the staggering inequality of global wealth, she declared, “These are symptoms of systems that leave humanity behind.”
She warned against a global order driven by consumption and neglect, saying, “We need new solutions that will get the human family back on its feet.”
Referring to Türkiye’s humanitarian efforts, including hosting nearly 4 million refugees, Erdoğan underlined the Turkish tradition of hospitality, noting: “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.”
The first lady criticized the erosion of multiculturalism and rising global polarization, advocating for a renewed, inclusive understanding of global citizenship.
“We must fix one leg of the compass in our identity and let the other travel through all nations,” she said, quoting Sufi philosopher Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi.
She also spotlighted Türkiye’s Zero Waste Project, now a U.N.-backed global initiative, as a moral and environmental commitment rooted in respect for nature as a divine trust.
“No country can fight today’s crises alone,” Erdoğan concluded. “We need ethical multilateralism, alliances that want for others what they want for themselves. Only then can we fulfill humanity’s deep longing for brotherhood.”
