[54598] Turkey marks Mother's Day with a tribute to mothers and a call for national unity

Mother's Day in Turkey: Messages of tribute, bereavement, and hope

On May 10, 2026, Turkey marked Mother's Day as part of widespread state and public events. The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, issued a special message in which he greeted the mothers who are the "backbone of the family and society" and emphasized that through their efforts "we will achieve the ideal of the 'Century of Turkey'."

At the same time, Emine Erdoğan focused on the emotional and humanitarian aspect. In a post she published, she noted that "mothers are the greatest light of this world," while extolling the sacrifice of bereaved mothers and expressing special support for "Palestinian mothers" in light of the war in Gaza, as reported by TRT Haber.

The day was also marked by deep sadness for families who have lost their loved ones. İhlas News Agency reported on a mother whose son was killed in a school attack, while Haber Gündem highlighted the cry of a mother of a young woman missing for six years, who is seeking to bring her daughter to burial. Yasemin Mingücü, who lost her son, voiced sharp criticism of the judicial system in a demand to bring those responsible for his death to justice.

Across social media, sports clubs such as Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş joined the celebrations while mentioning the figure of Zübeyde Hanım, the mother of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. At the same time, government bodies such as the Turkish Police produced moving videos in tribute to the work of mothers.