Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan has taken part in the Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, hosted by Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska in Kiev, addressing the gathering via video message.
The summit, held under the theme “Education Shaping the World,” brought together leaders’ spouses, international experts and policymakers to explore how education can foster resilience, peace and social progress.
It also featured the presentation of a multinational study titled “Education as a Tool for Shaping Personal Resilience, National Social Capital, and a Culture of Peace,” conducted across 14 countries—including Türkiye—with input from students, teachers and parents.
Erdogan described education as the most powerful tool in confronting today’s crises.
“In a world tested by hunger, poverty, war, migration and the climate crisis, the only force that can help humanity stand up again is, without doubt, education,” she said in a statement on Friday, adding that only “value- and morality-based education models” and universal access could create a more just and equal world.
She also highlighted Türkiye’s commitment to humanitarian principles in education, pointing to the Türkiye Maarif Foundation, active in 55 countries, as a leading institution delivering inclusive and peace-oriented learning.
“Our aim is to ensure that disadvantaged children can exercise their right to education and take their place in the future world on equal terms,” she noted.
She concluded by thanking those who organised the programme and voicing her wish for “a future where humanitarian crises come to an end and we meet in prosperous tomorrows.”
“I hope this meaningful gathering, which contributes to the common future of humanity, will be a means for new beginnings.”
