The Syrian Girl Who Tweeted From War-Torn Aleppo Met With The President Of Turkey

Bana Alabed, the 7-year-old girl who won over the hearts of many with her Twitter account that documented life in war-torn Aleppo, met Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Turkey on Tuesday. Alabed’s meeting with the Turkish president comes after she and her family safely left the Syrian city.

Alabed’s evacuation was highly publicized, as it was initially feared she had become a casualty when her Twitter account grew inactive. Thankfully, she was discovered and took numerous photos with journalists who verified her safety.

The meeting between Alabed and Erdogan occurred in the Turkish capital of Ankara and was arranged by the Turkish president and Turkish Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who had corresponded with Alabed through Twitter. In footage of the meeting, which was captured by Turkish Chief of the Cabinet Hasan Dogan, Alabed could be heard expressing her gratitude to Erdogan: “Thank you for supporting the children of Aleppo and help us to get out from war. I love you.” Erdogan later tweeted out he enjoyed the meeting.

The situation in Aleppo continues to be volatile after evacuations hit numerous roadblocks, and thousands of civilians still need to leave the city. Following the assassination of a Russian ambassador by an off-duty Turkish cop, relations may only grow more strained.

(Via CNN)