7 October 2010
revised

SPEECH BY MR MEVLÜT ÇAVUŞOĞLU, PRESIDENT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY, FOR MRS HAYRINNUSA GÜL, PATRON OF THE TURKISH “EDUCATION ENABLES” CAMPAIGN

(Strasbourg, Thursday 7 October 2010, 15h15, Chamber)

Mrs Gül,

Thank you for agreeing to address our Assembly in the context of today’s debates, which focus on education and care of children with illnesses and disabilities. We know that education is a priority for you. You are also involved with various projects involving the empowerment of women and you support projects for improving the quality of life of the elderly and disabled by encouraging them to be actively involved in social life. You believe that “social solidarity and mutual support are among the most important features of the Turkish society”.

Today you are a guest in our Chamber as the patron of the campaign “Education enables”, aimed at children with disabilities in Turkey. Thanks to the support of NGOs, businessmen, celebrities, sportsmen and ordinary citizens, the campaign has helped provide educational institutions with the necessary equipment and facilities to help such children.

Since its launch in April 2009, it has made it possible for thousands of disabled students to start school or to receive education at home.

I take the opportunity to also pay tribute to our Rapporteur for today’s debate, Mr Ayva, who is giving us a remarkable personal example of what your campaign is trying to achieve. Since his election to the Turkish parliament in 2002, he has been a strong advocate for the disabled, in particular disabled children, and he is the chair of the main NGO involved in the “Education Enables” campaign.

Dear Mrs Gül,

Your husband, a former member of the Assembly, now President of Turkey and a very good friend of many of us sitting here, took the floor frequently in this Chamber. Let me conclude by saying that it is a great pleasure and honour for me to give the floor to you as a person fighting for the rights of the most vulnerable people in our societies.