Turkey’s First Lady Appeals to Melania Trump to Raise Voice for Gaza’s Children

Turkey’s First Lady Emine Erdogan has written to US First Lady Melania Trump, urging her to intervene on behalf of children in Gaza by raising.

The issue directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Reuters reported citing Turkish authorities. In the letter, dated Friday and released by the Turkish presidency, Emine Erdogan referred to Melania Trump’s recent outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding children affected by the war in Ukraine, saying she hoped the same concern would extend to Gaza.

“I have faith that the important sensitivity you have shown for the 648 Ukrainian children … will be extended to Gaza as well,” she wrote, describing such an appeal as a “historic responsibility toward the Palestinian people” at a time of growing international recognition of Palestine.

The White House has not yet responded.

Her appeal comes as a UN-backed global hunger monitor formally declared famine in Gaza City and nearby areas, deepening calls for Israel to allow more humanitarian aid. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has dismissed the report as an “outright lie,” maintaining that Israel is working to prevent starvation.

The conflict, which began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage, has since left over 62,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza health authorities.