A 14-year-old girl from Gaza met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at parliament in Ankara after previously appealing for help on social media to reunite with her mother in Türkiye.
Meryem Yılmaz Jarada's mother traveled to Türkiye for treatment for a brain tumor shortly before the war in Gaza erupted in 2023.
The girl remained in Gaza with her father and siblings during the conflict. In 2025, she shared a video on social media addressing Erdoğan and asking for help to reunite with her mother.
Following the appeal, Turkish authorities facilitated the evacuation of Meryem and her siblings from Gaza, allowing the family to reunite in Türkiye.
Meryem, whose mother is Turkish and father Palestinian, was born and raised in Gaza.
The girl met Erdoğan on March 11 during a weekly meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) at the Turkish parliament. During the meeting, she thanked the president for helping bring her family to Türkiye.
Speaking afterward, Meryem expressed gratitude to Türkiye and said she hoped that people in Gaza would be able to live in peace and safety in the future.
