Hatay

Mrs. Gül also accomapnied President Gül during his visit to the city of Hatay.

FIRST LADY’S MATERNAL AFFECTION

As part of her schedule in the city, the First Lady first visited the family of Specialist Sergeant Osman Nuri Taşkıran, martyred by terrorists in the city of Sırnak on Nov. 10, 2002 and listened to the family’s concerns.

The First Lady, afterwards, paid a visit to the Hatay Orphanage for Girls where she was welcomed with flowers by children saying: “Hayrünnisa Mother! Welcome to our house!” Mrs. Gül wanted them to study hard.

“YOU ARE TURKEY’S HOPE!”

The First Lady watched a folk dancing performance by a group of teenagers with disabilities and was very much interested in the girls residing in the orphanage, chatting with each of them. Declaring them to be Turkey’s hope, Mrs. Gül asked them to have high aims for which they will study hard, also urging them not to relinquish them at any time.

During her visit, a 17-year-old girl, Müzeyyen Aşık, who had won a poetry competition among the care centers of the Social Service and Child Protection Institution (SHÇEK), read a poem of her own, entitled: “Hayallerimi Arıyorum (I am Searching for My Dreams) and the other girls presented the First Lady a book of poems, entitled: “Orphanage Poems”. The First Lady, doing some ebru (paper marbling) with the girls, was also presented with a work of ebru.

GREAT INTEREST FROM CITIZENS

The First Couple later explored the Long Bazaar (Uzun Çarşı) where they chatted with citizens displaying great enthusiasm for them. They afterwards visited Habib Nejjar Mosque, a Synagogue and the Archaeological Museum and left Hatay for Ankara in the evening.