The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) marked Mother’s Day with a series of events focused on mothers and children in areas affected by the earthquakes. The programs included themed activities and psychosocial support workshops.
As part of the celebrations, Kızılay President professor Fatma Meriç Yılmaz and celebrity chefs Danilo Zanna, Somer Sivrioğlu and Mehmet Yalçınkaya visited residents of a nursing home.
As part of ongoing recovery efforts, Kızılay organized Mother’s Day activities in Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Gaziantep, Malatya and Osmaniye. These events aimed to strengthen the bond between mothers and children while offering psychosocial support.
Mothers and their children participated in art therapy, psychoeducational sessions, letter-writing and gift-making workshops. The program also included tailored activities for children with special education needs and their mothers.
Within the scope of Kızılay’s “Lives Cooked with Kindness” initiative, President Yılmaz and the chefs visited the Kızılay Nursing Home in Istanbul’s Kartal district. They joined the elderly residents for breakfast and celebrated Mother’s Day by cutting a cake together with the mothers at the facility.
Yılmaz said, “This is where the mothers and fathers of the Kızılay family live. On Mother’s Day, it means a lot to visit them, kiss their hands, see them smile, and receive their blessings. Our chefs also surprised us by joining the visit to honor our elders. I sincerely thank them.”
Yalçınkaya said, “Kızılay holds a very special place for us. We respond whenever we are invited – and often even when we’re not. On Mother’s Day, we are exactly where we need to be. We’re very happy and wish everyone a happy Mother’s Day.”
Sivrioğlu added, “Meeting with mothers always makes us happy. We do wonderful things with Kızılay. I’m grateful to be working with them. Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers.”
Zanna said, “How lucky we are to be here. We send our love and respect to all mothers across Türkiye and the world. We kiss your hands – thank you for everything.”