UPDATE - Turkish first lady meets kindergarten students of Turkish Maarif Foundation in Serbia

UPDATES WITH TURKISH FIRST LADY’S VISIT TO ETHNOLOGY FESTIVAL, REVISES DECK

By Yildiz Nevin Kasim and Yasin Gungor

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – Türkiye’s first lady on Friday met with students at a kindergarten run by the Turkish state-run Maarif Foundation in Serbia’s capital Belgrade.

Accompanying President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his official visit to Belgrade, Emine Erdogan, together with her Serbian counterpart Tamara Vucic, visited the Maarif Baby Palace Kindergarten, which educates 220 children between the ages of 2 and 7.

On X, Erdogan said of her kindergarten visit: “I would like to thank everyone who contributes with the belief that the light of children is the most valuable bond that will further strengthen the friendship between our countries.”

Türkiye’s Maarif Foundation, which is devoted to education, began its work in Serbia in 2019.

Its educational activities in the country continue in five schools in the capital Belgrade as well as the cities of Novi Pazar and Sjenica, with a total of 518 students – 449 in preschool and 69 in primary school.

- Emine Erdogan attends Ethnology Festival in Belgrade

Emine Erdogan also attended the eighth Ethnology Festival in Belgrade, held under the auspices of the Serbian first lady.

The festival featured a fashion show showcasing traditional Ottoman and Anatolian wedding gowns.

Speaking at the event, Erdogan expressed her gladness that Türkiye was chosen as this year’s “Country in Focus.”

“Today, we felt once again that, despite our differences, we are united by deep-rooted human values,” she said on X.

She also thanked the Serbian first lady for organizing “such a meaningful event and their warm welcome.”

*Writing by Zehra Nur Celik