President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a statement on Saturday to celebrate Mother's Day, highlighting the importance of mothers in building a healthy and peaceful society.

Erdoğan said mothers are symbols of love, respect, mercy and sacrifice, who play significant roles in forming a healthy and peaceful society with their compassionate hearts.

"Motherhood is not only about bringing a child into the world. A mother is the most important role model for shaping up a person's feelings, thoughts and characters," the president said.

He added that "strong motherhood" is behind societies with strong individuals, great nations and healthy relations.

The president said that mothers not only protect their children, but they also make sacrifices and teach everyone how to love unconditionally.

In Turkey Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May.