Türkiye’s first lady on Thursday said all children, especially those in Gaza, deserve to grow up in security, peace and love in a fair world, and stressed what she said is a recognized fact that the benevolence of her country extends far beyond its borders.

Emine Erdoğan’s remarks came during an iftar, a fast-breaking dinner, in the capital Ankara, which convened with foster families and spouses of governors as part of the "Heart Ambassadors Project."

Erdoğan has been engaged in efforts to ensure more humanitarian aid for Gaza and host orphaned children affected by relentless Israeli attacks in the Palestinian enclave.

Israel's offensive has killed nearly 32,000 people, mostly women and children, and nearly 74,200 have been injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities, according to local health officials.

Israeli attacks that came in retaliation to resistance group Hamas' surprise attack on Oct. 7 have killed over 13,000 innocent Palestinian children while pushing thousands of others into severe malnutrition, according to U.N. children's agency, UNICEF.

Five months of war have created critical food shortages among Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians that in some areas now exceed famine levels, the U.N. says.

In her address on Thursday, Erdoğan emphasized the significance of the holy month of Ramadan and the unity fostered during iftar gatherings.

"While so-called civilized nations are falling into the dark clutches of discrimination and alienation, they remind us of the true codes of civilization. Because one of the fundamental duties of humanity is to build bridges of the heart," said the first lady.

"The unity of hearts, the realm of all emotions, makes a community a nation, a land a homeland, and a city a civilization."

Erdoğan highlighted how the richness of heart at an individual level permeates through states and institutions, saying: "There is now a truth known worldwide, that the benevolence of our state extends far beyond our borders. Ensuring the peace and prosperity of every individual living under our flag is among our foremost goals."

She underlined the role of governors and their spouses as representatives of the government's benevolent face, comforting hand and reassuring shadow in their provinces.

"The Heart Ambassadors Project, which we initiated in 2012, is a result of this sense of responsibility. We believe that all children have the right to grow up in an atmosphere of love and security above all else. We set out to bring our children under state protection together with foster families," Erdoğan noted.

The number of foster families has reached more than 8,300 since the project was launched more than a decade ago, she added.

"Since the inception of the project, we have shared in the joy of thousands of our children and the families who have embraced them. Today, nearly 10,000 of our children are growing up in an atmosphere of peace and compassion with their volunteer families."

Erdoğan also reiterated the significance of increasing awareness by declaring June 30 as Foster Family Day, emphasizing the need to strengthen the foster care system and reach more families and children.

"We must share in the joys, sorrows, successes and dreams of the children under protection in your provinces. We must take the first step of building this bridge of the heart from the hearts of our children. We must deliver the path of the heart to foster families who will nurture and raise our children from their hearts," she said.

The first lady further outlined the efforts of the Family and Social Services Ministry to remove all obstacles in bringing children together with foster families.

She mentioned the development of education and guidance services for foster families and the initiation of the Mentor Foster Parenthood Application to facilitate knowledge and experience transfer between experienced foster families and new volunteers.

Erdoğan emphasized the significance of volunteer citizens in this process, saying, "Our nation's outstanding volunteerism was also evident in the earthquakes of Feb. 6 last year, which were the disasters of the century."

She said the number of foster family applications, which was 669, has increased by 123 times to reach a record of 328,818.

"We are healing the wounds opened by the earthquakes of Feb. 6 together."

Erdoğan also highlighted the groundbreaking ceremonies for Child Houses Sites for children under state protection in earthquake-stricken areas as part of the Heart Ambassadors Project.

"In the honorable pursuit of a noble goal, even if people stumble, they never fall. With all of your extraordinary efforts, we are progressing on this path without stumbling, increasing the number of children and families we bring together day by day."

Erdoğan emphasized that the state's protection and guardianship do not end when children are placed with foster families or reach adulthood, highlighting the provision of employment opportunities in public institutions and encouragement of employment opportunities in the private sector.

She assured that children can access institutional support through Aftercare Monitoring and Guidance Units located in all 81 provinces whenever needed.