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Turkish educational campaign for Gaza children

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2026-09-17 15:10 UTC → 2026-09-18 06:32 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Turkish Ministry of National Education (MEB) initiated a nationwide awareness campaign titled ‘Let the Kites Not Be Shot, Let the Sky Remain for Children’ to mark the 2026-2027 academic year. Directed by Minister Yusuf Tekin, the program was designed to highlight the plight of children affected by global conflict, with a specific focus on Gaza. Following the announcement, the campaign was implemented across 81 provinces. Participants, including students, families, and educators, engaged in activities such as flying kites decorated in Turkish and Palestinian colors. In cities like Batman, Bitlis, Eskişehir, and Edirne, the events served as symbolic messages of peace and solidarity. Local officials and academic leaders, such as Eskişehir Osmangazi University Rector Prof. Dr. Emine Gümüşsoy, noted the humanitarian importance of the initiative, describing the situation in Gaza as ‘a wound to the human conscience.’ As the campaign expanded, events were held in Kırıkkale and Istanbul. In Kırıkkale, Governor Hüseyin Engin Sarıibrahim stated the festival aimed to instill values of justice, conscience, and freedom in children. In Istanbul, students gathered at the Bosphorus to fly flag-decorated kites. Istanbul Provincial Director of National Education Murat Mücahit Yentür noted that the goal was to foster sensitivity in children and expressed hope for a world built on mercy and justice. He further described the suffering of children in Gaza as ‘a dark stain on the history of humanity.’ Recent activities have extended to Çorum, where students gathered at landmarks like the Koyunbaba Bridge to fly kites and release balloons. The campaign also incorporated direct testimony; Sawsan Alsultani, a university student from Gaza, participated in a virtual talk at Hitit University in Çorum. Similar awareness programs have since been reported in Van, Kars, Konya, Bayburt, Gümüşhane, and ~~Burdur, with participants sending messages of hope and brotherhood to Palestinian peers.~~ Burdur.

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