Pop singer Hadise has drawn criticism following her appearance in a Ramadan-themed fundraising video for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The singer faced backlash on social media for her remarks regarding Turkey’s humanitarian status.
In the video, Hadise highlighted Ramadan as a month of sharing and solidarity. She noted that UNICEF supports children in the most difficult circumstances because "no child should go hungry."
"From Turkey to Gaza, from Sudan to Africa, children need hope at the iftar table," Hadise said in the video. She encouraged viewers to make donations to the organization to "make a real difference in a child's life."
'Unacceptable'
Oktay Saral, a chief advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, criticized the singer on social media, arguing that the comparison was inappropriate.
Saral stated that placing Turkey in the same sentence as Gaza and Sudan as a country "in need of help" is an "unacceptable attitude."
"Turkey is not the subject of crisis regions, but a country that brings aid to those places," Saral wrote, describing Hadise's statements as "disconnected from reality and damages the country's reputation."
Hadise urges calm
Hadise responded to the criticism by deleting the video and issuing a statement emphasizing her role as a UNICEF Child Rights Advocate since 2022.
"I am a woman in love with this motherland," Hadise said, adding that she acted with good intentions to support children and that the text was provided to her by the organization.
She stated that she acted with good intentions to support children and that the text was provided to her by the organization.
"I wish for all of us to stay away from sentences full of anger and marginalizing emotions during Ramadan," she added. (VK)
