President Erdoğan: "I am attending this event on behalf of the First Lady as well as on behalf of myself."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan unexpectedly attended the event "Women Who Leave a Mark on the Soil," hosted by Emine Erdoğan on the occasion of the International Day of Rural Women, at the Presidential Complex, with the participation of 120 entrepreneurial women from all 81 provinces of Türkiye.
President Erdoğan participated in the event "Women Who Leave a Mark on the Soil" in lieu of First Lady Emine Erdoğan, who was unable to attend it due to her health and posed for photographs with entrepreneurial women from every province in Türkiye.
After the event, President Erdoğan posed for photos with entrepreneurial women in front of the Gate of Honour.
After conversing with the participating women for a while, Erdoğan said, "I am attending this event on behalf of the First Lady as well as on behalf of myself."
President Erdoğan addressed rural men, saying, "Considering that today is International Day of Rural Women, this also sends a message to men. Farmer men, where are you?" A woman responded, "We are here for you," to which President Erdoğan replied, "I am here for you too."
President Erdoğan listened to women's requests and instructed the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Vahit Kirişci, to purchase a combine harvester for Keziban Bulur of the Kızılca village, Sivas province.
President Erdoğan was greeted by actress Ümmiye Koçak, dressed as "Black Fatma" for the play "Women of the Turkish National Struggle" that was to be performed at the event.
The women participating in the event took photographs one by one with President Erdoğan on their mobile phones.
Emine Erdoğan sent a message to the event
Emine Erdoğan, who could not attend the event due to her health, stated in her message that the Anatolian lands were Allah's gift to the earth.
Emphasising that it is everyone's responsibility to view the land from this perspective, to protect it, and to respect the land's blessings for the people, Emine Erdoğan said:
"We can repay the land by sowing, avoiding the use of toxic chemicals, and always preferring natural methods. We can set an example that will inspire others by conserving all of our natural resources, particularly water. Agriculture is the greatest wealth of our country. Let us express our gratitude for this wealth by sowing on every inch of our land. As the seasoned and faithful women of Anatolia, each of you is the guardian of our lands that are bursting with abundance and blessings. In particular, I implore you to enrich our land with compost fertiliser and preserve its fertility so it can be carried into the future. Local agricultural activities play an essential role in the fight against climate change. As long as you preserve local agriculture and your caring attitude towards nature, you will ensure a prosperous future for the children of this country. I would like to express my gratitude to each and every one of you for your diligence and perseverance. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the event, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry."
