Türkiye's first lady stresses women's role in Turkic heritage

Türkiye's first lady Emine Erdoğan on Friday emphasized that women holding influential positions is deeply rooted in the heritage of Turkic civilizations, speaking at the inaugural meeting of the High Honorary Council of the Council on Family and Women attended by spouses of leaders visiting the capital for the Organization of Turkic States summit.

Hosted by Erdoğan, the gathering brought together spouses of heads of state attending the 13th OTS summit, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, and senior representatives from member countries. The meeting sought to establish a permanent platform for cooperation on family and women's issues across the Turkic world.

'Transform this experience'

Addressing the attendees, Erdoğan said: "We aim to make our council a lasting platform for cooperation. Today, together with you, we have taken the first steps toward establishing our council here in Ankara." She voiced hope that the body's first official meeting would convene next year in Uzbekistan during the 14th Organization of Turkic States summit hosted by Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, wife of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. "What we need to do is transform this experience into a perspective unique to the Turkic world that is in harmony with the cultural sensitivities, priorities, and social realities of our societies," she noted.

Family as 'unseen stronghold'

Later on Friday, Erdoğan shared remarks on the Türkiye-based social media platform NSosyal, saying: "With our council having taken its first step towards establishment, we aim to bring together our efforts to empower families and women on a common platform." "We believe that keeping families, the unseen stronghold of our societies, strong is possible by supporting women in every sphere of life," she added, stressing the importance of drawing on member countries' experiences to address shared challenges through collective wisdom. The 13th Heads of State Summit of the Organization of Turkic States convened in Ankara with participation from leaders of the Turkic world.