A 7-year-old Syrian girl whose Twitter account went viral earlier this year after she and her family highlighted the horrors of the assault on Aleppo embraced Turkey’s president in a recent meeting.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan can be seen hugging little Bana Alabed and cupping her face in photos the pair posted on Twitter on Wednesday. Bana was safely evacuated from Aleppo earlier this week.
“I was pleased to host @AlabedBana and her family at the Presidential Complex today,” tweeted Erdogan, who is opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. “Turkey will always stand with the people of Syria.”
Bana has gained more than 352,000 followers since her account went viral.
“Very happy to meet with Mr. Erdogan,” she wrote on Twitter.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Cybersecurity Experts Are Sounding the Alarm on DOGE
- Meet the 2025 Women of the Year
- The Harsh Truth About Disability Inclusion
- Why Do More Young Adults Have Cancer?
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Michelle Zauner Stares Down the Darkness
Contact us at letters@time.com