Turkey’s First Lady Emine Erdogan has issued an impassioned plea to Melania Trump, urging her to show the same concern for Gaza’s children as she demonstrated for Ukrainian youngsters in her recent letter to Vladimir Putin.
In a carefully worded letter dated 22 August 2025, Emine Erdogan asked the US First Lady to write directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, where more than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed, including 18,000 children.
The Turkish First Lady’s appeal comes as the death toll continues to mount in the besieged enclave, with health officials reporting that Israeli forces killed at least 33 Palestinians in attacks across Gaza on Saturday alone.
Drawing Parallels Between Ukraine and Gaza
Emine Erdogan referenced Melania Trump’s recent humanitarian intervention at the Alaska Summit earlier this month, where the US First Lady penned a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin calling for the protection of Ukrainian children affected by war.
I have faith that the important sensitivity you have shown for the 648 Ukrainian children who have lost their lives in the war will be extended to Gaza as well, where, in the span of two years, 62,000 innocent civilians, including 18,000 children, have been brutally killed,” Erdogan wrote.
The letter, released by the Turkish presidency on Saturday, praised Melania Trump’s “moral sensitivity” and suggested her humanitarian stance “inspires hope in people’s hearts.”
“As a mother, as a woman, and as a human being, I deeply share the sentiments expressed in your letter, and I hope that you will give the same hope to the children of Gaza, who also yearn for peace and tranquillity,” the Turkish First Lady added.
Universal Rights of Children
Quoting directly from Melania Trump’s earlier message to Putin, Erdogan emphasised the universal nature of children’s rights. As you stated in your letter, every child’s right to grow up in a loving and safe environment is universal and indisputable. This right does not belong to any particular geography, race, ethnicity, religious group or ideology.”
The Turkish First Lady recalled their meeting at the White House six years ago, noting the bond they had formed and expressing confidence in Melania Trump’s capacity for compassion across all conflicts.
In her letter, Erdogan painted a harrowing picture of the situation in Gaza, where she said a child dies every 45 minutes according to UNICEF statistics. She described Gaza as a “children’s cemetery” and highlighted the particularly tragic phenomenon of “unknown baby” written on the shrouds of thousands of Gazan children who have no surviving family members to identify them.
Call for Historic Responsibility
Erdogan urged Melania Trump to take what she described as a historic stance by writing to Netanyahu. These days, when the world is experiencing a collective awakening and the recognition of Palestine has become a global will, I believe your call on behalf of Gaza would fulfil a historic responsibility toward the Palestinian people,” she wrote.
The Turkish First Lady concluded her letter by emphasising the importance of defending international law and shared human values, suggesting that such action could restore hope for Gaza’s surviving children.
Your strong call to end the humanitarian crisis could be extremely significant,” Erdogan stated, adding that whilst it was “already too late for the 18,885 infants and children of Gaza whom we have lost,” action could still save those who remain.
Famine Declaration and Netanyahu’s Response
The appeal comes just one day after a global hunger monitor officially declared famine in Gaza City and surrounding areas, with warnings that the crisis would likely spread throughout the territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the famine declaration as an “outright lie,” insisting that Israel had a policy of preventing, not causing, starvation.
Netanyahu has not provided a clear timetable for his announced plans to seize Gaza City, which would forcibly displace nearly one million Palestinians. Speaking on Sunday, he said only that it would happen “fairly quickly.”
Mounting International Pressure
The international community has increasingly condemned what many describe as “unimaginable levels” of suffering in Gaza. On Tuesday, the European Union and 26 countries, including Canada, France, and the United Kingdom, called for urgent action to halt and reverse the unfolding famine.
Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has blamed the international community for inaction over what it calls “the genocide of our people” in Gaza, urging global powers to uphold their moral, legal, and political obligations.
“Despite the international consensus… on the need to implement international humanitarian law and human rights, the occupying power [Israel] continues to expand its aggression and deepen its use of starvation, thirst, and denial of medical treatment as weapons in the war,” the ministry stated.
Turkey’s Mediator Role
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has attempted to position himself as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine during their conflict, now in its fourth year. On Tuesday, he accused Israel of using hunger as a weapon in Gaza, stating that images from the Palestinian enclave were worse than “Nazi camps.
The Turkish government’s intervention through the First Lady’s letter represents a significant diplomatic move, attempting to leverage Melania Trump’s demonstrated concern for children in conflict zones to bring attention to the Gaza crisis.
Melania Trump’s Ukraine Intervention
Melania Trump’s letter to Putin, delivered by President Trump at the Alaska Summit on 15 August, had called on the Russian leader to protect children and “nurture the next generation’s hope.” The letter, whilst not specifically mentioning Ukraine, spoke of protecting “the innocence of children” who are “forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them.
“Mr Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter,” the US First Lady had written. In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone — you serve humanity itself.
Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak, expressed gratitude for Melania Trump’s intervention, calling the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia a “key condition for any peace agreement.
Continuing Crisis in Gaza
As diplomatic efforts continue, the situation on the ground in Gaza remains catastrophic. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that children who should be preparing for the new school year are instead searching for water, queuing for food, and living in classrooms turned into overcrowded shelters.
The World Health Organization has urged Israel to allow it to stock medical supplies in Gaza before the military proceeds with its plan to seize Gaza City. WHO representative Rik Peeperkorn stated that whilst Israel claims more humanitarian supplies are being allowed in, “it’s not happening yet, or it’s happening at a way too low a pace.
The White House has not yet commented on Emine Erdogan’s letter or indicated whether Melania Trump plans to respond to the appeal regarding Gaza’s children.
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