Hayrünnisa Gül: First lady, mother and more
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Ayla Ceyhan
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 09, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL-First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül says being the wife of a president entails more responsibility and that being in political life requires personal and familial sacrifices. She says conditions at orphanages in the country have improved
In her first interview with a magazine, Turkish First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül has talked to Anneyiz Biz about her "totally changed" life, her family, her responsibilities and her hobbies.
The mother of two sons and one daughter, Gül, 44, is one of the younger first ladies in Turkey’s history. "My husband’s decision to enter politics has totally changed my life," Gül told Anneyiz Biz, a parenting magazine. "I have taken care of the children and the house since then so that Abdullah Bey could focus on his job." Gül said there were times when she was really tired, but more than that, she is sorry that her children cannot spend more time with their father, President Abdullah Gül.
After her husband became president of Turkey, he has been a busier person, Gül said, adding: "Being the wife of a president brings more responsibility. We all have a responsibility here to represent our country in the best way." Unfortunately, she said, politics requires personal and familial sacrifices.
Although politics has kept the family from having a normal life away from the media, Gül said she would not seek to keep her children from entering politics if they want to. "We have never put pressure on our children on any matter," she said. "They have grown up in politics, so they know its advantages and disadvantages. But if they still want to enter politics some day, we will respect that and support them."
In addition to being a good mother to her three children, Gül visits many other children, especially orphans, when she accompanies her husband on official visits abroad. "I try to meet with children as much as I can in visits both local and abroad," said the first lady, noting that she has visited nursery schools, children’s hospitals and schools that provide education to disabled children, as well as an orphanage in Iraq, where the Güls traveled recently.
"An orphan child in Iraq asked me whether I came for him," Gül said. "There are 3 million orphaned children in Iraq and they need love."
On her travels within Turkey, Gül often visits orphanages and said she has noticed a remarkable improvement in the conditions at these facilities. "All the material needs of those children are provided by the state," she said. "But they need one thing: love and care. We are all responsible for winning those children and adopting them into society." Gül has led some civil-society initiatives, including the Talking Book Festival, a project to promote reading, especially among children. The first Talking Book Festival was organized in Istanbul in June 2008; the event will be repeated in other cities over the next couple of years, with a second festival held in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa this month and a third organized in the central Anatolian city of Kayseri next month. Gül said the Istanbul festival was enjoyed both by the young participants as well as the popular figures who were involved as book readers.
Education is the top priority for the first lady in her program of social-responsibility projects. She supports the "Education Overcomes All Boundaries" project organized by the White Moon Association, an advocacy group for the disabled. "There are 8.5 million disabled people in Turkey and only 15 percent of them can continue their education after primary school," Gül said.
Women’s issues
Women’s issues are also a significant focus for the first lady, who said women’s participation in politics is not at the desired level. "We should have more women ministers, deputies and mayors," said Gül. "In the 85-year history of the Turkish Republic, we have had only one [female] governor. This is something to be considered." But despite the negative picture in bureaucracy and politics, Gül said she is happy with the number of women active in business life and diplomacy, noting, "There are 15 women ambassadors at the moment, which is a pleasant improvement."
Commenting on the popular saying, "Behind every successful man, there is a woman," Gül said she preferred to say, "Beside every successful man, there is a woman," because life is about companionship. She said relations between men and women should be based on cooperation, not competition.
The mother of two sons and one daughter, Gül, 44, is one of the younger first ladies in Turkey’s history. "My husband’s decision to enter politics has totally changed my life," Gül told Anneyiz Biz, a parenting magazine. "I have taken care of the children and the house since then so that Abdullah Bey could focus on his job." Gül said there were times when she was really tired, but more than that, she is sorry that her children cannot spend more time with their father, President Abdullah Gül.
After her husband became president of Turkey, he has been a busier person, Gül said, adding: "Being the wife of a president brings more responsibility. We all have a responsibility here to represent our country in the best way." Unfortunately, she said, politics requires personal and familial sacrifices.
Although politics has kept the family from having a normal life away from the media, Gül said she would not seek to keep her children from entering politics if they want to. "We have never put pressure on our children on any matter," she said. "They have grown up in politics, so they know its advantages and disadvantages. But if they still want to enter politics some day, we will respect that and support them."
In addition to being a good mother to her three children, Gül visits many other children, especially orphans, when she accompanies her husband on official visits abroad. "I try to meet with children as much as I can in visits both local and abroad," said the first lady, noting that she has visited nursery schools, children’s hospitals and schools that provide education to disabled children, as well as an orphanage in Iraq, where the Güls traveled recently.
"An orphan child in Iraq asked me whether I came for him," Gül said. "There are 3 million orphaned children in Iraq and they need love."
On her travels within Turkey, Gül often visits orphanages and said she has noticed a remarkable improvement in the conditions at these facilities. "All the material needs of those children are provided by the state," she said. "But they need one thing: love and care. We are all responsible for winning those children and adopting them into society." Gül has led some civil-society initiatives, including the Talking Book Festival, a project to promote reading, especially among children. The first Talking Book Festival was organized in Istanbul in June 2008; the event will be repeated in other cities over the next couple of years, with a second festival held in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa this month and a third organized in the central Anatolian city of Kayseri next month. Gül said the Istanbul festival was enjoyed both by the young participants as well as the popular figures who were involved as book readers.
Education is the top priority for the first lady in her program of social-responsibility projects. She supports the "Education Overcomes All Boundaries" project organized by the White Moon Association, an advocacy group for the disabled. "There are 8.5 million disabled people in Turkey and only 15 percent of them can continue their education after primary school," Gül said.
Women’s issues
Women’s issues are also a significant focus for the first lady, who said women’s participation in politics is not at the desired level. "We should have more women ministers, deputies and mayors," said Gül. "In the 85-year history of the Turkish Republic, we have had only one [female] governor. This is something to be considered." But despite the negative picture in bureaucracy and politics, Gül said she is happy with the number of women active in business life and diplomacy, noting, "There are 15 women ambassadors at the moment, which is a pleasant improvement."
Commenting on the popular saying, "Behind every successful man, there is a woman," Gül said she preferred to say, "Beside every successful man, there is a woman," because life is about companionship. She said relations between men and women should be based on cooperation, not competition.