Türkiye’s First Lady, Emine Erdogan, marked Foster Family Day with a heartfelt message shared on her official X account, underlining the values of compassion, shared responsibility, and Türkiye’s enduring tradition of social solidarity.

“Every time I meet with our foster families, it carries a very special meaning and excitement for me,” Erdogan said on Monday. “Through their example, we witness love, kindness, and mercy reaching the highest peaks.”

Celebrating the day alongside foster families and the children in their care, the First Lady praised Türkiye’s long-standing commitment to caring for vulnerable children through the Foster Family System.

“We are a nation that embraces the belief that ‘human beings are entrusted to one another.’ This culture of solidarity continues today through our Foster Family System,” she said.

Emine Erdogan also called for the expansion of the foster family model beyond Türkiye's borders. “We must never forget that all children of the world are the beloved children of the human family,” she emphasised.

She highlighted the international recognition of Türkiye’s “Gönül Elçileri” (Volunteers of the Heart) project, which was last year presented as a model initiative at UNICEF’s headquarters in New York. “We cannot be prouder of the compassionate character of both our nation and our state,” she noted.

The First Lady also extended her congratulations to the spouses of the governors of Isparta, Kahramanmaras, and Hatay—three provinces recognised for outstanding foster family efforts this year—and wished happiness to all children and their families.