The TÜRGEV 2018 Iftar Program, with First Lady Emine Erdoğan as the guest of honor, was held at the Mevlanakapı Higher Education Girls’ Dormitory.
07 June 2018
TÜRGEV 2018 Iftar Program Held
The TÜRGEV 2018 Iftar Program, with First Lady Emine Erdoğan as the guest of honor, was held at the Mevlanakapı Higher Education Girls’ Dormitory.
The event brought together alumni from 2010 to 2018, along with members of the TÜRGEV General Assembly and Board of Directors, guests from the business world, foundation staff, and other invitees.
In her opening remarks, TÜRGEV Chairperson Dr. Fatmanur Altun stated that TÜRGEV aims to be both a cradle and a home for young people. She emphasized that TÜRGEV is also an international organization operating at every stage of education:
“We create an atmosphere where our students can develop themselves, make decisions, and put them into practice, supporting them every step of the way. TÜRGEV is a sycamore tree that grows with Turkey and flourishes alongside it.”
Addressing the participants, First Lady Emine Erdoğan expressed her joy at meeting young people “in the spring of life, at the crossroads of paths leading to the future.” She noted that while some of these young women would graduate and embark on new lives, others would continue their educational journeys.
Calling this a “beautiful journey,” she quoted the Prophet Muhammad’s words: “The scholars on earth are like the stars in the sky.” She added:
“I know this is not merely an iftar table, but also a gathering of talents. Each of you is a unique gem. The earlier you recognize your own potential and the more carefully you refine it, the more fruitful your life will be. Recognize your abilities, and please know your worth without falling into arrogance. God, who created this vast universe, deemed you worthy of life and made you the stewards of the earth. Can something valued by God be insignificant?”
Mrs. Erdoğan underlined that every person has inner treasures that must be discovered and cultivated. Quoting Yunus Emre — “To know knowledge is to know yourself; if you do not know yourself, what good is your learning?” — she reminded students that all fields of knowledge are interconnected:
“Whether in social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, music, psychology, or theology, none are truly separate. Seeing the links between disciplines and approaching them as a whole leads you to wisdom. As in our traditional scholarship, the essence of knowledge is wisdom; otherwise, it is merely the burden of information. True knowledge is not gained solely at a desk but through experience, resulting in applicable insight. TÜRGEV dormitories are, in my view, more than just residences—they are experience centers that add a new dimension to your education.”
Encouraging the young women to value their time, she said:
“God gives you a piece of 24-carat gold every day. You can either spend it like loose change or increase its value. Just as you manage your finances, manage your time—make it fruitful.”
Mrs. Erdoğan stressed the importance of young women being courageous, self-confident, and determined, while also being gentle, compassionate, and kind. She said that true admiration for a person comes from the balance of these traits, with a mindful heart at its center.
She also reflected on the changing world:
“We live in extraordinary times. Twenty years from now, the world will be entirely different. Discussions on artificial intelligence show us signs of a new future. Many of today’s professions may disappear. But one thing will never lose its value—remaining human, bringing conscience, mercy, and justice into life. When you combine international relations with conscience and justice, you arrive at the truth we know well: The world is bigger than five.”
Mrs. Erdoğan called the youth the spokespeople of truth and the builders of the future:
“You are a hope for Turkey. We reached today by struggling to exist with our identity under challenging conditions. From now on, we will entrust everything to you, young people who are being raised with better opportunities and greater awareness. Until we hand over the flag, we must strengthen the struggle we have been part of for the past 16 years. Join this mobilization for your own future, shoulder the burden with us, and work together for the strength of our nation. Let our efforts in civil society, academia, bureaucracy, and business flow into the same river and form great waterfalls. On the road to 2023, we trust our youth. Use your energy for the rise of this country.”
Concluding her speech, she prayed:
“May this blessed iftar hour turn our wishes into prayers. May God, through the purifying worship of fasting, free our souls from the captivity of our egos, protect our country from ill will, and grant us peace and order.”
The program featured an exhibition of handicrafts created by students of the TÜRGEV Şırnak Silopi Secondary Education Girls’ Dormitory over the course of the year. Visitors showed great interest, and bringing the exhibition from Şırnak to Istanbul was a source of joy for both students and guests.
Additionally, TÜRGEV Platform students introduced 5n1Kudus.com, a website aimed at promoting Jerusalem’s values globally, assessing its strategic significance in context, keeping its current developments on the world agenda, and offering an objective reading of its history. Atike Nuveyba Akıncı, one of the site’s editors, stated that they had adopted Jerusalem as a guiding principle and sought to open doors to diverse perspectives in society through this social platform.
TÜRGEV Chairperson Dr. Fatmanur Altun presented Mrs. Emine Erdoğan with a portrait of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan crafted using the filography technique by students from Şırnak.
The evening concluded with Mrs. Emine Erdoğan taking a commemorative photo with alumni students.
