New York: Turkey believes that the path to peace, justice, and shared prosperity passes through the family, according to Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan. Speaking at a side programme titled "Better Together: Global Solidarity Rooted in the Family," during the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, Erdogan emphasized the importance of family as the fundamental unit of society and a key element in sustainable social, economic, and cultural development.

According to TRTworld.com, Erdogan proposed the establishment of a special structure within the United Nations to coordinate efforts on strengthening the family system. She urged the UN to consider this as a goal, emphasizing the need for a dedicated mechanism to support family strengthening initiatives.

Erdogan also addressed the challenges posed by digitalization, noting that children are spending more than six hours a day in front of screens, leaving them susceptible to ideological manipulation and abuse. She pointed out that modern working conditions often fail to support women in their roles as mothers and within family life. Highlighting research that links broken families to rising crime rates, Erdogan asserted that the family is the state's key partner and the primary center for addressing social issues. In her view, healthy families cultivate compassionate, respectful, and peaceful individuals.

In her remarks on global conflicts, Erdogan stressed that the family is frequently the first casualty of wars and crises. She described the current situation in Gaza as the biggest orphan crisis of modern history, with hundreds of families destroyed and tens of thousands of children left parentless. She also cited Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar, and Ukraine as examples of regions where nearly 50 million children are currently displaced.

Erdogan underscored the family's role as the bearer of values and the safest refuge for children, asserting that "solidarity begins with the family." She concluded by calling on the UN to adopt the strengthening of families as a standalone policy, expressing confidence that such initiatives will inspire global actions to protect the family institution.

The event, hosted by Turkey's Ministry of Family and Social Services, was attended by ministers from Qatar, Hungary, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Nigeria, and Serbia, as well as representatives from Russia and the United States.