08 October 2010, FridayTurkey's 1st lady
ABDÜLHAMIT BILICISTRASBOURG

Hayrünnisa Gül addressed a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg on Thursday, promoting the rights of children with disabilities, becoming the first Turkish first lady to address such a session.

The first lady began her speech by saying that there is still a lot that needs to be done for children in the world in terms of human rights. “Those with disabilities do not live in isolation as if on far off islands in the ocean anymore, but we all know that they are still confined to the four walls of their homes in some countries, which is why we are sometimes not even aware of them,” she noted. We must remember that children are not disabled by choice, she continued, and added, “However, they have to live with their disability.”

Mrs. Gül is well known for advocacy of children’s rights, especially concerning children with disabilities. Last year, she launched a nationwide campaign aiming to empower the disabled through education.

The title of the campaign was “Education Enables.” “A better society can be achieved by protecting children with disabilities, [and] not leaving their parents to cope with them alone. We must provide them with opportunities for education when they are young, thus, allowing them to be active individuals in society,” she stated at the PACE session.

The first lady continued her speech by providing the audience with information about “Education Enables.” She said the campaign aims to raise public awareness about the fact that children with disabilities can receive education with others in the same environment and in the same schools. “In this way, our children will learn to accept each other as they are; they will learn about tolerance and how to live together despite their differences,” Mrs. Gül noted.

During the session she was accompanied by Lokman Ayva, a member of PACE and a lawmaker from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Ayva is visually impaired. Mrs. Gül praised Ayva for his efforts towards expanding the rights of people with disabilities.

“People may be born with a disability or become disabled later in life. However, this is not a hindrance to success. The best example of this is deputy Lokman Ayva. His efforts towards extending the rights of people with disabilities deserve the highest praise and appreciation. I would like to, on behalf of all our citizens with disabilities, offer my thanks to him once again,” she said.

The first lady concluded her speech calling on everyone to fulfill their responsibilities in fighting discrimination, including discrimination against people with disabilities. “Only in this way can we ensure that the fundamental values of human rights, democracy and the principle of the rule of law prevail throughout the world,” she added.

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