Statement from Hadise after being targeted by Oktay Saral

Hadise’s remarks in a charity video prepared in collaboration with UNICEF for the month of Ramadan have sparked controversy.

Hadise had used the following expressions in the video:

“Ramadan is a month of sharing and solidarity. UNICEF is always by the side of children in the most difficult situations. Because no child should go hungry. From Turkey to Gaza, from Sudan to Africa, children are in need of hope at the iftar table. To make a real difference in a child's life, you can make your Ramadan donations to UNICEF.”

Oktay Saral, Chief Advisor to AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, reacted to these words from Hadise. Targeting Hadise, Saral stated, “It is an unacceptable attitude for Hadise to show Turkey in the same sentence as Gaza and Sudan among countries ‘in need of aid’ in the video she prepared for UNICEF.” He further argued that this attitude was “not well-intentioned, but a serious lack of foresight.”

RESPONSE FROM HADISE: “I READ THE TEXT GIVEN TO ME”

The response from Hadise, who was targeted by Saral, was not long in coming. In a statement posted on her personal Instagram account, the famous singer used the following expressions:

"In 2022, I was chosen as a UNICEF Child Rights Advocate for Turkey. Since that day, I have carried out very valuable work with UNICEF in areas where our children and youth are in need.

After the earthquake disaster, I went to the region and spent time one-on-one with our children. I witnessed firsthand the training provided, the aid delivered; the fear in their eyes, but at the same time, their hope. Since those days, I have had only one feeling inside me: to be able to do more for our children.

For the holy month of Ramadan we are in, a text was sent to me by UNICEF and I was asked to shoot a video. The summary of the video was: “Let’s grow kindness together during Ramadan.”

I am a woman in love with this homeland. I am a woman who knows the realities of Turkey, who does not ignore these realities, but who always wants to be a part of the solution.

My intention was the same in 2019 when I advocated that we should embrace refugee children. My intention was the same when I was collecting aid for our children both in Turkey and abroad during the earthquake period. Today, while calling for support for our children during the month of Ramadan, I am in the same place.

Turkey is a strong country. It is a country that is always by its citizens' side with its state and its nation. Our country is a country that takes aid to every corner of the world and stands by everyone whenever needed.

We have many children and many families in our country and in the world who are in need of help. The efforts of our state and what it does are very valuable. Alongside this, the support of aid organizations; institutions such as the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay), UNICEF, and the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation is just as important. I am the greatest witness that donations made to these institutions make a real difference in children's lives.

Especially since the day I represented my country at Eurovision at the age of 22, I have proudly defended Turkey on every platform I have appeared on. I will continue to defend and represent it in the strongest way from now on.

I wish for all of us to stay away from angry sentences and polarizing emotions during the month of Ramadan. Fasting is not just about the body going hungry; it is also about the purification of minds and hearts from evil.

My prayer is to be able to meet in a future where all children can live in equality, safety, and love in a fairer world.

Hadise"

News Source: 12punto