Antalya, April 13, 2025 – The Europe Today: Türkiye’s First Lady, Emine Erdogan, delivered a powerful address at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) on Saturday, urging for peace to become the “prevailing force” in the world. She emphasized that humanity can no longer endure more conflict and war, stating, “Humanity can no longer endure more conflict and war. On the contrary, it now expects areas of cooperation to be established, uncertainty to be resolved, and peace to become the prevailing force.”
Erdogan noted that the ADF’s focus this year, “Advancing Diplomacy in a Fragmented World,” highlights the critical role of diplomacy in addressing global divisions. She underscored the growing need for diplomatic engagement in a world increasingly divided by polarization, wars, and humanitarian crises. “Through this forum, we will invite international actors to build a world where peace and just order allow everyone to thrive,” Erdogan said, calling for the unifying power of diplomacy to bridge long-standing divides and revive the culture of tolerance.
Erdogan also touched upon the importance of education as a tool for overcoming poverty, citing a UNESCO study that showed how basic literacy could lift 171 million people out of extreme poverty. “Every educated individual can become a transformative force, create a wide sphere of influence, uplift their family and community, and act as a driving force for sustainability by passing knowledge and skills to future generations,” she said.
The First Lady expressed deep sorrow over the plight of children in war zones, particularly highlighting those in Palestine who are deprived of basic human rights, including education. “In a world where we cannot even offer children the right to live, the right to education falls far behind. In Palestine, children not only can’t go to school or think freely, they say into microphones, ‘I want to die because I’m tired of living in war,'” she lamented.
Erdogan further emphasized the moral urgency of addressing the suffering of children, stating, “Our world has become a place where even the youngest children are burdened with profound grief, where their joy for life is crushed.” She called on the global community to recognize that children must never be parties to war, adding, “Let us not forget: a world where children are killed by bombs and missiles in their sleep has forever lost its innocence.”
Concluding her address, Erdogan shared her vision for a future free from conflict, where children experience only joy and carry schoolbags, not sorrow. “I dream of a world where conflicts are over, where children know no feeling but joy, and where the only thing they carry on their backs is a schoolbag—not the weight of sorrow,” she said.
The event was attended by several prominent figures, including the wives of the President of Azerbaijan, the former President of Croatia, the President of Sierra Leone, the Prime Minister of Palestine, and the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
