Turkish first lady highlights African culinary culture at New York event

Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan has emphasised the unifying power of food during a cultural event in New York, celebrating African cuisine and culture alongside spouses of world leaders and representatives of international organisations.

Following the event at the Turkish House (Türkevi) in New York on Tuesday, Erdogan took to X to express her pleasure at hosting the event, "Flavours of Africa: A Feast of Culture, Cuisine, and Friendship," which also featured the launch of her cookbook of African cuisine.

"Like in Türkiye and various cultures around the world, the table in Africa unites differences with harmony and hearts with affection," Erdogan said, noting the rich culinary heritage of the African continent.

"To present this treasure to the shared memory of humanity, we prepared the book, African Food Culture," she said.

"The book features traditional recipes, along with the human experience behind them," she said, hoping it will help preserve friendship. This will be strengthened by the opening of the "African Culture House" in Türkiye's capital, Ankara, to promote African culture.

Erdogan meets daughter of Malcolm X

On Tuesday, the first lady also met with Ilyasah Shabazz, the daughter of US civil rights legend Malcolm X, at the Turkish House.

Erdogan highlighted the global impact of Malcolm X's struggle for freedom, equality, and justice, as well as his inspirational role in movements against injustice worldwide, according to an official handout.

The two also discussed the similarities between Malcolm X's fight and the human rights and justice efforts of Turkish activist Sule Yuksel Senler. They considered potential collaborative projects with the foundation established to preserve Senler’s legacy.

Senler, one of the most renowned names in Muslim women's struggle for religious freedom, died in 2019. A foundation with the same name was established one year later to honour her.