Turkish first lady meets counterparts, chief of UN Human Settlements Program

ISTANBUL

Türkiye's first lady Emine Erdogan held separate meetings Thursday as she hosted her counterparts from Mozambique and Suriname, the queen of Malaysia, and the head of the UN Human Settlements Program.

According to a statement by the Turkish Presidency, Erdogan held the first of these meetings with Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah of Malaysia at the Vahdettin Palace in Istanbul.

During the meeting, they exchanged views on possible actions in relation to ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestine.

They also hailed the close relations between Malaysia and Türkiye, which share a common culture and beliefs and discussed their historical and traditional heritage.

Joint action on zero waste with Mozambique

Emine Erdogan later met with Isaura Nyusi, the first lady of Mozambique.

Nyusi expressed her appreciation for Erdogan's valuable work on global issues and conveyed her gratitude.

She also said a zero-waste initiative had been launched by the presidency of the East African nation, inspired by a similar project spearheaded by Erdogan, and proposed cooperation in this field.

"We shared Türkiye's experiences in waste management and discussed our areas of cooperation in agriculture, education, and social services. I was pleased to hear that they have launched a Zero Waste initiative under the auspices of the Presidency in Mozambique, inspired by our Zero Waste project," Erdogan later said on X.

During their meeting, the Turkish first lady shared information about the African Culture House and Handicrafts Market opened in Türkiye's capital Ankara to promote the African culture, with the proceeds of the handicrafts' sales sent back to women on the continent.

She and Nyusi also voiced hope for an increase in the number of students from both nations studying in each other's countries.

Nyusi said she was particularly interested in the care of orphans in her country and in benefiting from Erdogan's experience in social relief works, signing the Global Commitment to Zero Waste following the meeting.

Spreading zero waster in Carribbean

Erdogan also met with Mellisa Santokhi-Seenacherry, first lady of Suriname

A member of the UN Zero Waste Advisory Board, Seenacherry thanked Erdogan for her invitation and leadership in an event being held in Istanbul to mark World Cities Day.

Telling Erdogan of her intentions on the advisory board, she also said she would work to spread efforts for zero waste in the Caribbean region, as her country is the current term president of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Seenacherry also noted her projects to raise awareness and educate people on zero waste, especially for women and young people.

She highlighted the need to reduce single-use products and work on spreading best practices, while also underscoring the importance of supporting female entrepreneurs who produce ecofriendly products.

Erdogan also met with Maimunah Mohd Sharif, the executive director of the UN Human Settlements Program.

Sharif expressed her gratitude to Erdogan, as a global environmental leader, for hosting the World Cities Day event, marked by UN program on Oct. 31.

She thanked Erdogan for her role as moderator in the first meeting of the UN Zero Waste Advisory Board, which was productive.

They also discussed potential collaboration between the newly established Zero Waste Foundation and UN Human Settlements Program.

Sharif pointed out that the board's term would conclude in 2026, emphasizing the importance of institutionalizing the zero-waste movement, which would extend beyond the specified timeframe.

During the meeting, Sharif praised Erdogan's determination said she served as a role model on this issue.