First Lady of Türkiye, Emine Erdoğan, has drawn significant international attention with a letter she sent to U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, urging her to show the same compassion for children suffering in Gaza as she previously expressed for those affected by the war in Ukraine. The letter, which appealed to Trump to call on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, was widely reported by major media outlets across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and beyond.
Broad International Reaction
The letter was covered extensively in the United Kingdom, where the BBC highlighted the appeal on its widely followed social media channels and headlined its coverage: “Turkish First Lady urges Melania Trump to speak out for Gaza’s children.” Reuters, Sky News, and The Telegraph also noted Erdoğan’s call for Trump to use her influence in support of children living under siege, pointing out that the message was inspired by Trump’s earlier letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding Ukrainian children.
In France, Le Figaro ran the headline: “As a mother, a woman, and a human being: Emine Erdoğan calls on Melania Trump to defend Gaza’s children’s rights.” Le Point stressed Erdoğan’s request that Trump raise the issue directly with Netanyahu, while 20 Minutes emphasized United Nations reports of famine in Gaza and Erdoğan’s reminder that more than 18,000 children have been killed there in the past two years.
German outlets also picked up the story. Der Spiegel and NTV described Erdoğan’s message as an “emotional” letter, quoting her comparison between the 648 Ukrainian children killed in the war and the more than 18,000 children who have died in Gaza.
Widespread Coverage in Europe
From Switzerland, Blick and Swissinfo stressed Erdoğan’s appeal for Trump to echo her compassion for Ukrainian children on behalf of Palestinian children. Belgium’s La Libre and VRT focused on Erdoğan’s reminder that Gaza has become a “children’s graveyard.” In Greece, newspapers such as To Vima and Kathimerini underlined Erdoğan’s demand that Melania Trump show the same sensitivity to Palestinian children.
The story also resonated in Eastern Europe. Bulgaria’s bTV and Dnevnik, as well as Czech daily Blesk, repeated Erdoğan’s central message of equal empathy for Gaza. In the Balkans, Bosnian, Serbian, and Montenegrin outlets described the letter as a rare case of “communication between First Ladies,” while Serbia’s Blic highlighted Erdoğan’s request that Trump write to Netanyahu just as she had to Putin.
Global Attention Beyond Europe
The appeal reached as far as Australia, where 9News covered Erdoğan’s call for Trump to speak out about Gaza’s children. In South and Southeast Asia, Malaysia’s Free Malaysia Today, Singapore’s Straits Times, and Bangladesh’s state news agency BSS all emphasized Erdoğan’s comparison between the plight of Ukrainian and Palestinian children. India’s Times of India and Pakistan’s Dawn echoed the same theme, while Japan’s Japan Today also gave coverage.
In the Middle East, Qatar’s Al Jazeera and Al Arabi Al-Jadeed, Saudi Arabia’s Asharq Al-Awsat, and the UAE’s Sky News Arabia carried the story prominently. Israeli media, including Maariv and Yedioth Ahronot, noted Erdoğan’s direct appeal for Trump to pressure Netanyahu, quoting her line: “What we have lost is already gone, but for more than one million children still alive, there is still a chance.” Palestinian outlets such as Al-Quds al-Arabi and Shehab Agency also emphasized Erdoğan’s focus on children deprived of their basic rights.
Elsewhere in the Arab world, Egypt’s AlGhad, Lebanon’s NNA and MTV, and Morocco’s Al-Istiklal reported the appeal. In Iran, state media IRNA ran the headline: “Gazan children deserve happiness just like Ukrainian children,” while ISNA and SNN highlighted Erdoğan’s warning that nearly 19,000 children have been killed.
Coverage in Russia and Central Asia
Russian news agencies TASS, RIA Novosti, and Kommersant stressed Erdoğan’s call for Melania Trump to publicly speak out about Gaza’s children. Izvestiya and Vzglyad quoted Erdoğan’s line that “for over a million surviving children in Gaza, there is still a chance,” while Rossiyskaya Gazeta noted that the appeal drew inspiration from Trump’s own letter to Putin.
In Azerbaijan, major outlets such as Qafqazinfo and Yeni Müsavat described Erdoğan’s letter as a humanitarian appeal, with emphasis on the scale of civilian casualties in Gaza. Kazakhstan’s Kazinform also published details from the letter, echoing Erdoğan’s call for global empathy.
A Global Call for Equal Compassion
Throughout the coverage, a central theme resonated: Erdoğan’s insistence that the empathy shown for Ukrainian children must also extend to Gaza. Her letter framed the issue not only as a political appeal but also as a maternal and moral call, stressing:
“As a mother, a woman, and a human being, I share the emotions in your letter, and I hope you can also nurture the same hope for Gaza’s children, who long for peace and serenity.”
From London to Tokyo, Doha to Washington, Emine Erdoğan’s letter was portrayed as an attempt to mobilize international conscience through the symbolic weight of First Lady-to-First Lady diplomacy.
