The new term of the 2024-2025 academic year has begun for the “Nutrition Hour” program launched by Beylikdüzü Municipality in 2022. Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık shared details about the new term with the public at a promotional meeting held at the Beylikdüzü Atatürk Culture and Arts Center (BAKSM). The event was attended by Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney, CHP Istanbul Provincial Deputy Chairman Gürbüz Erdagöz, Istanbul Planning Agency Chairman Buğra Gökce, CHP Beylikdüzü District Chairman Mülayim Demirtaş, along with district officials, members of the press, and numerous NGO representatives.
“A child going hungry is an issue that transcends politics”
Speaking at a promotional event held at the BAKSM Thrace Hall, Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık emphasized that the “Meal Time” program should be viewed as a right. Mayor Çalık stated that the "Nutrition Hour" program transcends any political viewpoint and concerns the fundamental rights of children, saying, “Nutrition Hour is not charity; it is a right! Everyone in public administration who bears responsibility must prioritize this. According to our Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, it is our children who will illuminate our nation. Inspired by everything Atatürk did for this nation, we continue to work tirelessly on the path he showed us to ensure a better future for our children.However, the motions submitted to Parliament by our Republican People’s Party and other opposition parties calling for the provision of one free meal in schools were, unfortunately, rejected by the votes of ruling party lawmakers. “After all, no political ideology benefits from a child going to bed hungry, but the entire nation benefits from a child’s happiness,” he said.
“A sustainable model that puts the principle of the welfare state into practice”
Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık also emphasized that the “Meal Time” initiative is not merely a project, but a permanent model that puts the principle of the social state into practice. Mayor Çalık highlighted that this initiative is part of a fundamental transformation, stating, “Under the leadership of our Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor, Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, a fundamental transformation has taken place in Istanbul. In 2019, numerous projects were implemented, and significant strides were made in the field of social policies. All of these are products of the same understanding of social justice. We will never give up the fight for this cause.’ Mayor Çalık also noted that the ”Meal Time” initiative is a moral and ethical responsibility, adding, “That is why ‘Meal Time’ is not just an ordinary project for us. In fact, it is more than a project; it is a sustainable model that puts the principle of the social state into practice. The Nutrition Hour is our moral and ethical responsibility. It is a concrete step we have taken toward a system where our children grow up under equal conditions. Since 2021, we have distributed a total of 600,000 meal bags to approximately 5,675 children in 10 of our neighborhoods. The bags do not bear any logos or institutional signatures. Because we have only one goal here: to fill a critical gap in our children’s lives.”
“Our lunchboxes are now healthier”
Beylikdüzü Municipality has further enriched the contents of the “Nutrition Time” lunch bags for the new school year. Mayor Çalık noted that they had drawn on the expertise of Functional Nutrition and Holistic Health Specialist Aslıhan Kaya while creating this year’s menus, stating, “We have meticulously planned our children’s lunch bags to support their physical and mental development. “Our lunch bags now contain much higher-quality items,” he said. The lunch bags prepared as part of the Nutrition Hour program include staple foods such as sandwiches, nuts, fruit, and milk.
“There are people whose hearts beat for the children of Turkey, and there always will be”
Mayor Çalık expressed his satisfaction that the project is being implemented not only in Beylikdüzü but also in many other parts of Turkey. Thanking the municipalities that have implemented “Meal Time” in their own districts, Mayor Çalık stated that their goal is to reduce the number of children in need, saying, “Believe me, my hope is not for the number of districts and provinces implementing this project to increase. My true wish is that there will be no children in need left to whom we can provide a meal bag. It is to establish an economic order where every family can provide for their own children. Until that day comes, we will continue to support our children,” he said. Mayor Çalık concluded his remarks by stating, “We will continue to move forward with confident steps toward building a system where no child in this land struggles with hunger and no family lives in despair.There are people who work for the children of this country, whose hearts beat for Turkey’s children without any discrimination, and there always will be. We view ‘Meal Time’ as a giant step taken for our shared future. A child’s smile is society’s greatest hope. It is our duty to multiply that hope,” he concluded.