Turkish First Lady asks Melania Trump to press Netanyahu on Gaza crisis

Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan has asked U.S. First Lady Melania Trump to use her influence with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to press for an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying she was inspired by Melania Trump’s recent letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the rights and protection of Ukrainian children. The Turkish presidency published the letter on Friday, amid fresh international concern over the Gaza situation and a declaration by a global hunger monitor that famine is affecting Gaza City and surrounding areas.

In her letter, Emine Erdogan noted Melania Trump’s appeal to Putin, expressing a belief that the “important sensitivity you have shown for the 648 Ukrainian children … will be extended to Gaza as well.” She asserted a universal, time-honored right for every child to grow up in a loving and safe environment, adding that this right “is not the privilege of any geography, race, ethnic identity, religious group, or ideology.” Erdogan urged Melania Trump to call on Netanyahu to “end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” describing such a step as a historic responsibility toward the Palestinian people. She also emphasized shared humanity,...