Call for the repair of schools from Alabed from Aleppo, who presented a butterfly figure to President Erdoğan

Syrian Bana Alabed, who presented the butterfly figure representing children affected by war and hunger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, attended the 10th "World Without a Center: Who Leads When the Rules Are Invalid?" at the Istanbul Congress Center. At the opening of TRT World Forum 2026, organized with the theme, he presented President Erdoğan with a butterfly figure representing children affected by war and hunger. Alabed then made evaluations to members of the press.

Noting that it was a great honor for him to meet with President Erdoğan again after 10 years, Alabed said, "For me, President Erdoğan is a great role model and I wish to be a great leader like him in the future." he said.

Alabed stated that he watched the footage showing the difficulties experienced by children and people in Gaza and said that it reminded him of the days he lived in Syria.

"When Syria was liberated, it was the best day of my life"

Stating that children continue to experience similar pain in different parts of the world, Alabed said, "I do not want any child to live like this anymore. I want them to be able to go to school and live in peace and tranquility. That is why I fight for their rights. I voice their stories so that everyone around the world can hear them." he said.

Explaining that he did not believe for a long time that he would see his country free again after leaving Syria, Alabed said, "When Syria was liberated, it was the best day of my life. It was an honorable experience and I felt great happiness that day. Because I could see the children smiling again and being free again; that was my only dream. Of course, I do not believe that the story of Syria ended that day." made his assessment.

"Schools in Syria are still destroyed"

Alabed stated that they should continue to fight for children and said that children still have to work to support their families and therefore cannot go to school.

Alabed from Aleppo said, "Schools in Syria are still in ruins. We must help repair these schools so that we can rebuild our future." he said.

Alabed stated that children are the pioneers of change and that children shape the future and the world, so he continues to tell children's rights and stories.

Stating that he participated in many international platforms and conferences and was deemed worthy of the International Children's Peace Prize 2025, Alabed said, "This award was not only for me, but also for the voice of children in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and Congo. It is not just my country."

At the end of his speech, Alabed said in Turkish, "My message is simple; we are children. Please listen to us. We understand what happened." shared his message.