>> thank you very much, mr. president. listening to your remarks and had to reactions. one, it is complicated. two, i'm glad that i don't have to deal with the problems that you are dealing with.

[silence] >> okay. thank you very much, mr. president. i am grateful. hope you have time for a few questions. as i listened to you with iron was that you are hopeful for a breakthrough with normalized relations between turkey and israel on one hand, hopeful for resolution of the law in

cyprus problem that your relations, of course, also turning a page with europe as a result of the agreement that you are struck on the handling of refugees and visas and the opening again of negotiations and so it struck me i was wondering whether this can be characterized as a rebalancing of turkeys foreign-policy? this now i turned again back to the approaches that you had pursuit when you 1st came into office as prime minister in which in many ways you are more than left in the mediterranean and to the middle east where the troubles are so many in the problems are so difficult to resolve.

[speaking in native tongue] >> translator: thank you, let me start by referring to the cyprus issue, as you so recklessly suggested about the cyprus question, the surplus -- the parts of cyprus to conduct a positive approach guaranteeing countries and the uk happens to be a little bit more passive country, turkey and greece are both important guaranteeing countries. guarantor countries. when i took over the office of the prime minister for the 1st time we get together and almost plan

that was the time when i requested something to help me solve this question the initiative three times and he was freely taking another step forward and getting in yet again failed. i said the turks would be one step ahead of the greeks command i promise you, that will be the case. and i told him to give me some time. i was told we could initiate a new process and then we started our talks. messieurs got together, start seeing each other again, and the initiative was underway again. at the most important detail , and switzerland we got together for what you could call high camp.

we were a part of that union. i was the prime minister than, as i said, and the initiative was underway. we invested tremendous effort and run the breach of reaching a consensus. i before you put our signatures underneath that agreement right then and there the greeks appeared and said that they would not be able to sign the agreement. and kobe and onside that he gave a promise and was involved in these talks from the beginning. and after almost everything was complete kofi annan said there is no going back and we need to sign the agreement. signatures were put command we went our own ways and

about a week later a referendum was decided to be held commando was important about that referendum is at the end the greeks appeared, said no, and the turkish said yes by 65 percent. despite them say no by 75 percent, they greeks were admitted, but the northern were not. right next to that there were certain financial supports that the northern should have received, but that never happened. so that has been the case. but in 2013 we reached a certain consensus between the greeks and turkish and draft x was produced and we asked each other whether we can reach a consensus and

continue positively. both participants agreed, but things started falling apart again. yet again we are back to square one, taking positive steps forward. there is commitment. i'm always telling my friends and colleagues that they will be on the positive side of everything is going on. in may they will be the general elections and i hope and pray in the aftermath of the elections the process will be proceeded with positively. with regards to your question, and all my friends know this for a fact we applied to become an eu member state in 1959.

and since the year 1963 have been lingering at the doorstep and waiting. when i was the prime minister miller only invited to the leader summit. president of france at the time and chancellor schroeder from germany was always attending these leaders summit, and we were always very positive toward one another,command all throughout our deliberations we thought things were going quite possibly, but that was a time when we saw tendencies amongst the chapters being opened and closed, so there was a possibility to open chapters, negotiate them, close them. once after the offices were left the presidents and

chancellors and france and germany had a different approach to turkey, the chapters of be opened never be closed. and then the new thought emerged as a privileged partnership and we never knew where this idea was coming from. and everyone was blaming one another. and we were doing everything we could and everything was becoming a little bit more obscure. and as we speak, 14 chapters are out and one was closed, open and closed and the remaining 15 chapters were opened to negotiations and never closed. the processing question is stagnating. but our friends are patient. i am patient.

and we will proceed with the process as promised. i hope and pray in the wake of these new developments and in the aftermath our friends in the eu will appreciate the fact that turkey is becoming very welcoming. thank you. >> you mentioned in your speech the importance you attach to improving, if i heard the translation correctly, your country's political standards. there are turkish journalists that are facing prison terms for carrying out there work as journalists, in some cases criticizing you and that has generated a lot of concern. about the prospects of a free media in turkey. can you address that question that many americans are now asking about your commitment to a free media in turkey?

[speaking in native tongue] >> translator: i am glad i am prepared. we are receiving questions my friends abroad continuously. we are proving our position every chance that we get. there are those who are leading allegations in light of those trying to defend turkey. if you want the details of this i would be happy to share.

these people have already been connected and four of those supposed to journalists have been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment and cases are still pending. there are only seven journalists and only two of those have their credentials in place with the yellow press card, four out of seven on like john new line are allegedly members of the terrorist organization, and

three of those have tried because of having been a member. let me elaborate on what that is. then incorporated within our national security document. another aspect it would like to share with you has something to do with the journalists, inside the turkish prisons there are no journalists have been incarcerated are sentenced to imprisonment do to their professions whether freedom of expression. the freedom of expression regulated and the causes all

throughout the elections where the president was going to be elected by the turkish people. and they are pretending as if i have a tendency. car of the support of my people, the closest candidate despite having been supported by 14 political parties in turkey. first elected president of the republic of turkey by the people because of the services are provided for my people and my nation and my country, whether they be social, medical, infrastructure, superstructure.

if you don't invest in infrastructure to make greece the living standards of your people, health, transportation, medical, justice, security, if you don't raise the standards people will never appreciate you or be supportive. the will of the people shall prevail. people never make mistakes. >> our president is regularly criticized. the press, opposition, presence of candidates. but that is part of the free society. do you have a problem with journalists criticizing you?

>> i'm sure you have chosen this expression specifically. of course i have problems. if they were to insult me by lawyers will go. it's different than what criticism would mean. the criticism will lead us in their interactions. i wish i would have been criticized. i have seen such insults

horrible insults. cascaded down the channels. from corruption to theft anything you can think of. the organization was very prevalent, and i was a time they can file a lawsuit that they wanted against me. that is exactly what they wanted to do. they tried to hit me using the head of my intelligence agency. despite all these developments that may be

president by 52 percent of the votes. >> we have to go to the audience for a couple of questions. >> what i call on you, wait for the microphone, identify yourself, and please ask a question. not to make a statement. have an opportunity here to ask questions of the president, not interested in having a political statement in the process. this is not a discussion with policy people in washington. call on all of them to turn it into a press conference.

>> deputy director. thank you very much for being willing to come here in thehis speech he talked about a number of different issues, but there was one country that received fleeting mention, iran. turkey has played an important role in the diplomacy with iran. i wonder if you could speak about the reintegration and speak to turkish iranian ties. and if you have any thoughts we would all be very interested. >> thank you very much. a short while ago the prime minister of turkey paid a

visit to iran, and with that visit after the elimination of the sanctions we had an opportunity to discuss the recent developments. and within the 1st few months they're have been certain improvements. but the school had not been realized a significant gap. you have the strategic counsel relations between iran and turkey and will tackle these issues there within that framework.

iran follow the strategy that we couldn't. a more positive approach will be adopted. approach could of been contribution to the ability. i believe turkey could have been the healthiest mediator in the settlement of disputes. the regional question is to become one of piece, but they lead us to even more challenges. because of the sectarian approach for significant challenges are concerning to us all. we are investing significant

efforts as the high echelons of the two nations. i have the chance to get together and discuss these issues at length, and the high level strategic council meeting will be held this month. it will yield an important result. and the nuclear energy and other nations, there are significant steps have been taken which are welcomed by us and closely monitored and developed. >> thank you. >> the president of bacchus share international

university here in washington dc. i am proud of you and our government regarding our syrian refugee crisis and what our government has done so far. what you think is the main reason behind the last being so ignorant of the problem that they have done's almost nothing. we have spent over $10 billion of the west spends almost 400 million so far. what is the main reason behind their ignorance? [speaking in native tongue] >> translator: i am having a hard time grasping the indifference. if we were to look at the refugee crisis almost all of

the states are more financially resilient. despite that fact they were deeply disturbed by the people that have come to the countries as refugees. but we refrain from doing that. we welcomed almost 3 million refugees fleeing imminent death and running away from barrel bombs and airstrikes. we welcome 300,000 refugees from iraq. this was our duty as humans. i'm looking and trying to associate what is going on with the declaration. not paying much attention to the clauses or else they

would have assumed a much different responsibility in order to settle the question once and for all and extend helping hands. we would have taken aa significant step forward. i'm going to tell this for the 1st time. let's declare a terror free zone, something i have discussed my friends in us. pioneering and can do something about resettlement to have the refugees in an annual basis and put significant amounts i know terror zone in the northern

part in the clarinet area to be a no-fly zone. we can construct small houses and those homes could be used to settle those willing to leave syria for good these places can be surrounded by hospital, schools, and the syrian citizens can be encouraged to live on their own. they think this is a wonderful idea. realize this proposal. it will no longer need to go to europe or any other country. it will go back to their motherland and live happily in their homes.

i have shared this idea but not received an answer yet. >> both support this idea, but the big question is how do you protect his people, what troops on the ground be deployed? >> you know that there are different security measures that could be taken similar to those in different locations around the world. you would find security troops and forces and similarly law enforcement

could be established in the security chain could have been formed. taking a further step forward. ensuring the safety and security of the people who will be resettled is the duty of us. but the fundamental responsibility is upon the un. >> un or nato cover? >> the 1st would be a necessity. they have to assume responsibility. >> thank you.

i'm told we have to end it. [speaking in native tongue] >> translator: thank you for not wearing me out more than necessary. [applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> here is a look at our prime time schedule starting at 7:00 p.m. eastern alive debate

>> yesterday afghanistan's 1st lady delivered remarks on the challenges facing our country and efforts to begin a new era of prosperity. held by the atlantic council, this is an hour and 20 minutes. [inaudible conversations]

>> good morning. it is an enormous pleasure to welcome you to this morning's event with the 1st lady of afghanistan. thank you for taking the time to be with us. please carry our best wishes back to your husband with whom you know we have a long and deep relationship. i would like to extend a special welcome. all joining us for today's conversation. strong, productive relationship and reconsider this bilateral relationship

to be one that has outsized importance in the months and years ahead. atlantic council for direct ambassadors also here. the vision and commitment and his generous support of the council is a crucial catalyst that enables our programming. he built an incredible career as a diplomat and foreign-policy leader but now you can go beyond just knowing it. if you look at my former workplace, this morning's edition has an incredible review. it is well worth reading.

also to understand his upbringing. we are joined by ambassador richard olson. today's conversation is public and on the record, so i encourage you to join the conversation online. here at a crucial moment. 2015 was a significant year. in 2016 promises to be equally demanding. nato is turning to maintain commitment and this year member nations will review engagement and we can support. amid renewed violence the

afghan government must find ways to keep at bay forces that could reverse process made since 2001. must consider it a human cost. it is more critical for a strong, healthy command vibrant society. we in the united states have seen what happens when we think our eye off afghanistan and the importance of that country in the past. we look forward to hearing from the 1st lady. she has played. she is continually made people's issues a central focus of the debate, but since i will not be

introducing you i will not say anything more. ambassador james cunningham who was the us ambassador to afghanistan. i am proud to have him now introduce a woman who has shown the formidable will an unmatched leadership needed. [applause] >> thank you. the many of you who are in the audience. have a lot of distinguished guests.

i want to say a special word of welcome i'm not going to going to the biography. i want to thank the ambassador for joining us today. join her onstage for discussion and q&a. what i want to say is a brief role -- report. we were happy to have known her and her husband while she was active she was not particularly public person. a warm and thoughtful person clearly committed to improving afghanistan and supporting her husband's

untiring efforts. when he went from prison should begin to take on a public role and campaign, gracious campaigner, attacked and maligned, she remained committed to supporting the campaign and a better future for our country. afghanistan's facing severe problems and challenges, but there is a new afghanistan building an emerging. the afghans are taking charge of the future. they need time and space and millions of courageous afghans working every day to

take advantage. i am convinced there is an opportunity for this country if the international community maintains its commitment and should be no further reduction in total conditionsuntil conditions on the ground and afghan abilities make that possible. i have been consistently reminded of the importance of the individual in history. on the right person is ofat the right time and place time. elements large or small. on april 6 she takes6th she takes the stage at the annual women in the world summit. the tagline is meet the women who change the world.

please join me in welcoming the 1st lady. [applause] >> thank you. very kind words. i have a little trouble remembering the time as 1st lady. the name of god, the compassionate, the merciful, distinguished members of the audience, also llama like him. i come to you in piece. inviting me to address the

gathering of influential movers and shakers, i am being honored and never like to thank the people for their warm welcome and to you for taking the time to come and listen to me. listening is something that i myself do a lot. when i 1sti 1st decided to fully assume responsibilities of 1st lady some 18 months ago i was entering uncharted waters. i had to get to know them better and understand their grievances.

hence the "he my office. groups have come to see me. some came from provinces. socialists or activists entrepreneurs. for with constant. i listen to my advisors who report to me daily so here

are here today. and can vouch for it un agencies tendencies. strike to ngos and even individuals. the french lady bent on creating a virtual museum for afghanistan. i love the dynamism. all of this to say that information will be firsthand, factual, and representative. journalistic or expert accounts, i was attracted to

a comment. susan hassler, former cia fact checking analysts who recently the people make the most irresponsible claims and disputing facts. hardly anyone will so you really other information. i would future observation. you know where i stand. journalists are so rushed trying to be the 1st to scoop a story. they hardly have time to check facts. there were so many facts

that will wrong, like so many people were mentioned as being members of the administration a defective. repeated half-truths people -- take a life of their own. the result is several myths that need to be debunked. the taliban are winning. why is it we keep hearing about the same 600 meters being lost and regained and they cannot claim. the fact is they do not

fully control enough territory by the way, i want to ask this question, who is the institute produces maps to the contrary? i would like to know because the information is skewed. america has lost the more. america came to hunt down osama bin laden, which was done. to my knowledge america is not at war with the afghan people. america has failed in afghanistan. was not america's aim to help rebuild the country and help it is way to achieving political stability? wasn't the peaceful succession the sign of political maturity?

myth number four. how can you insist on that when the un commission carried on three different counts command i'm talking about total counts over two months and was unable to discover the alleged fraud on an industrial scale. they did find irregularities in both camps in the numbers were reduced by 1 percent. so again, the article in the "washington post" talked about legitimizing the government. this is a legitimate government. if you don't believe elections maybe the us should stop talking about democracy because democracy

is believing in the voice of the people and what they see. i don't know which number of this myth is. there are quite a few. the unity government is not working. i asked, when angela merkel took over six months to put together our unity government no one no one blinked. why should it be different in the case of afghanistan? takes time. afghanistan is falling apart economically while maybe they mean the pockets of the previous bureaucratic and political elite are no longer bulging with all that money. less corruption should be considered progress.

solid foundations on which to build reform. let us keep an open mind. besides, already reporting the collection of revenue has increased by 22 percent. if anything this is not a sign of disorganization. >> this is something people in the west have a hard time understanding.

upon traditional society, highly cultured. of course this is all in the case for warlords and mercenaries, but isn't that true in most situations? and again,again, it takes time to replace the rate of violence worse than before. i've heard that so many times. let's get the record straight. the number two is no other

other woman is also on the negotiating team, head of the all-important afghan women network. he himself has repeatedly declared that the issue of women's rights is nonnegotiable. i will not be surprised if some of you will raise questions and i will be glad to engage them. let me tell you more about a topic close to my heart. as i mentioned at the beginning there is a constant stream of women who come to see me. lately i've noticed an increasing number of accounts.

even less sense the 7th sonic to name just a few cases. the women of afghanistan does not take this lying down. the help of the ministry of women's affairs command emergency fund dedicated to the victims of violence that will help cover expenses, especially legal and medical ones. religious scholars to discuss the place of women in islam. and believe me you will be surprised as to how many injunctions teach respect

for women and equal treatment of women and men. one very important development in our country has been the greater participation of women in public affairs. we now have four women ministers that are active and effective. .. >>

>> in other words, , the present government is actively pursuing the integration of women in its decision making processes. at the cabinet level left by a the president and representatives of several ministries has been busy looking into the gender unit of all ministry every ministry has a gender unity called equal opportunity commission. as part of all official rules and policies. the ongoing reform of the justice system also benefits women and it is part of the supreme court with case is the violence against women and children and sat by one

of the supreme court judges. higher speed in those cases one such case to is being carefully examined also special commission of the supreme court is reviewing the cases of every imprisoned woman and today 95 women have been relieved of pardon on obscene the sentences reduced. deregulations regarding harassment at the workplace were issued september 2015 the criminal code is amended so women running away from home are no longer automatically considered criminals and sentenced to jail here again many more adjustments are needed as it becomes increasingly fair to the woman we go on and on

about what is being implemented of the development and following the guidelines of the empowerment plan. my own team of advisers have been bringing improvement to the condition of afghanistan in the health field when major accomplishment is the formation of a in association bringing together the team together health cancer specialist under the auspices of the ministry toward the fight against cancer focusing on breast and cervical cancer. similarly our office has reported a campaign and has

held help establishing a treatment center that we call the center for pope. with won a special hospital they cater to 300 women addicts. does it not surprise you if i conclude with the message of hope that i see on the faces of the women who come to visit with me that they are slowly regaining control of their destiny and the protection afforded to them is gaining momentum to become participants in the social economy and political life. for a better future for them and their families. >> nowhere in this message of hope is stronger than the

rise of generations. at age 25 and a figure equivalent of $40 to find a way to have a piece of land that is a mission. i see in her contemporaries from a the provinces to have access to education to find so many ways to provide them for opportunities and gets scholarship here in the state's jordan and i think

singapore. i am not quite sure it has a dream to open a secondary high-school for them. was founded her own ngo to have community and attending to those it need to manage to accompany those handicapped women were sheer rage for treatment to come back with 17 of them now able to work. it was wonderful to see them coming back. i see it after several years of taking care of her brother addicted to drugs decided to open in a shelter where 40 addicts are an attendance also running a small restaurant to cover expenses.

i see that from the american university in afghanistan and then start their own business that colors the whole process of production to create 5,000 jobs for women in the provinces. if this is not hope what is? thank you. [applause]

thank you very much for that forceful statement i want to thank my friend for their welcome of you and to read maya own for the audience if they are in the picture i have known for a very long time since i school together and in fact, and with those high school state students went to the american embassy together in to fill the application with the first navy and last name i did not know what the last name meant because afghans just use the first name. so the president said to be

a little more worldly than i was at that time and as the resident is the to explain to me that my father is dead now so immediately so on the spot and that has served me well. and we have then interacting for such a long time and when we were students.

head to start the conversation we have about 50 minutes. so to give ample time to the audience and we have them quoted by the inspector general with the development activities and the money spent for development projects. concern to it is from a legacy project that the pattern of holding conferences and certificates contracting and subcontracting would now be repeated.

i would be interested to know your view going forward with expenditures in with that project in particular what it should be. >> i remember seeing that at the launch is a five-year program that usaid has budgeted headed up by women. the program and not yet started to raise the concerns this program should

not repeat because indeed a lot of international aid agencies were often than not for the workshops in two weeks and with those documents they can frame and nothing else. and to acquire some new skills the case that they didn't learn much. so i want to say tongue-in-cheek please make

sure that you are doing something it is substantial in training people so they can carry on after. >> with your state mehuman chin the progress one area of lot of progress has been made impacting women is communication which covers almost all of afghanistan from a very few phones and i remember when i with there first after 9/11 taking satellite phones with 7,980,000,000 bin to what extent that success kit be

used also includes the ability to communicate to address some of the areas that more profit is needed education and empowerment of women to include in the economy. >> fell as are a tool it is true as reverse saying we now have held all over afghanistan people also hired a smart phones that means they can access things on the internet. felons have been used with the organization for literacy programs and they have done literacy in the

more ways of teaching people how to read and write but it was much faster and the reason is they had a motivation. so they knew that still the western to apply immediately. in the secrets of success you have to teach people things that they need. the phones that i know or when i write it is usually about women. and they come and meet in callable once racier. they don't have much money.

but they communicate with each other by phone and sometimes if the member cannot come to the meeting they will put the phone on speaker phone wherever she is an reading off of a form and out loud and discuss it what she did weller didn't do well so it is important for them to come together even the cupped or the driver to be able to function. >> has the afghanistan will leapfrog kin an area that we

were speaking about is that digital technology generally can be instrumental with the other issues with the quality of education and financial inclusion of larry we see significant results in parts of africa on digital finance in afghanistan to benefit from the structure to address the issues of development. >> i think i can think of other examples. as the details come back back, phones are testing to pay them directly.

if somebody is trading to look up the internet in another part of a country so it is the tool to get more information and it can become very important so i cannot really talk more about that. >> as we talk about before coming here to be very impressed with your public statements end your commitments and leadership

has been extremely inspiring as the first lady of afghanistan and with that i will take questions and comments. please introduce yourself so we know who you are. >> and don april 6 for international women's day.

>> so congratulations. so i of the program director from washington d.c.. i thank you for being gay positive inspiration but to have education to have the key for success for all individuals as i was a student at georgetown university reading about the afghan women's council. how to create social changes and are sustainable for economic empowerment into luby's suggested the idea of

a woman's only university for the afghan women in afghanistan back then nobody listened to me but that idea has been adopted. can you tell me more about that if you are a engaged? gin to with that bought -- broader spectrum with political aspects of life. yes there is a project for a woman's university to take credit for the idea as well as one of my husband's promises during the campaign.

is far as i know with the minister of higher education told me they would sign the memorandum of understanding. so it will be located and have a beautiful view and i hope it will benefit a lot of women. >>.

>> if you for your presentation. to follow the world cup quite recently the nation's had been incredibly impressed and as the west indies were defeated so my question is do you see the potential to levant's the nation of the common national identity as a tool to bring people together? what is your view? [laughter] >> you might laugh with it is a very fortunate statement. cricket is extremely important in afghanistan because it is news said

nobody can turn into negative news on cricket tonight everybody stays have to watch their happy to see from the upper level of the foyer matches with the country that was a champion in 2012. sows boards can play an important role. it doesn't matter where you come from a dozen matter what language you speak to us that you are good at it. >>.

>> i with the hindu american foundation. studies the play to the hindu minority as they continue into decline to seek refugee status. in all honesty do you think they actually have the place and can the government guarantee their security or should they take refuge elsewhere to survive if? >> i will start to by answering with a larger answer. it seems nowadays everybody will compartmentalizes everybody into a different group and then other

countries you can see what happened in the middle east and those that live there for centuries and how they started to be persecuted. there are hindus in afghanistan. there has ben day back-and-forth and so many people and how they go on their honeymoon because it was not offered in india but

not where they need to catch up. but with that community they have been there for centuries. there are practical considerations. for example, the funerals in the government has preached an agreement for more modern facilities as kabul has thoroughly expanded and there are no places to be able to do these. so there is some friction in their.

afghanistan is an exclusive country. for example, the have no problem unlike our neighbor. the country is very hospitable. >>. >> with those democratic institute date for the speech. my question is on in sustainability. making some great progress across different sectors encouraging women political engagement to the council are these efforts are sustainable?

how sustainable are these efforts? >> there are sustainable as the women themselves. but the work has to be done by the people itself. so there they have the chance in to in the way to express themselves to have an opinion.

>> may ask why question in by a home language? >> [speaking native language] language. [speaking native language] [speaking native language]

[speaking native language] >> we have it translated to questions? >> number one the issue of afghans going to europe and coming back if they had been reintegrated and to follow up the benefits that they have achieved from that what more can they achieve from that technology? >> yes we have a mixed number but i don't know because said on how i love statistics because 180,000 have left the country.

the press makes it sound like there are immigrants 180,000 is a small number. so they are going to be will come when they come back to afghanistan. so it is not much better. said to feel more moderated to contribute and to see any problem with that. i don't know the second question.

but why not? anything can help. >>. >> [speaking native language] [speaking native language]

[speaking native language] [speaking native language] >> very quickly because is very long. they we for the work and i have done to take part in the decision process. but her question is with

affirmative-action and to look into it. into raise a question so i go back and try to understand but you have to remember i was not elected. [laughter] on the books i have very little power but because the women and men checked out what they're doing. but they are responding. >> one thing that she did

make for socializing this position i am privileged to go to school lab boston university on scholarship and you spoke about long-term thinking. how long do you need afghanistan in that position? in terms of development and stability and how do explain that to your allies your administration that will

follow you? thank you. >> and i don't do politics. [laughter] but my answer will be very precise because i talk much more a social development issues. it takes a minute or two to destroy everything but to rebuild it takes a year or a year-and-a-half. remember we had a civil war three years we were killing each other and destroying each other. so with the previous administration that karzai

could bring everybody at this table together. from the point of view of management the previous administration was not very detail oriented. so this administration has arrived they are hard at work to bring some kind of border. again i will mention in the "washington post" talking about very disorganized. >> they have to have the program and at the end of

lever said they don't do anything everyone reports they have done has he or she then able to organize? in the midst -- they had the employees in the thousands. this is the way you do things or this is not the

way i cannot say if it would take one year or three years but by the end of the five-year mandate you will see a difference from the beginning. >>. >> thank you very much for being here today acquisition kabul a couple weeks ago i had the pleasure of hearing you speak at the international women's day conference at the school. my question has to do with how to relate to the women's ministry? how low do you divide for what you do as opposed to what the witness ministry

does? >> i have had a long relationship with afghanistan and also know your husband. [laughter] that is a very good question. i am not about creating new institutions but helping the existing institution so i do that for all the mysteries. the ministry of women's affairs of whenever she needs me. i need to move aggressively you are doing.

-- understand you are doing. and they come and ask for vice i never said this is the way to do it she came to a ministry that was in turmoil from those deputy ministers. i never said do this or do that. she has two other deputy ministers. i was interested in the gender units in the ministry. we work very hard would have brought all the people from the street we had a huge meeting and after that we

follow through. to the guy of the organizational structure to support those gender units. because to take the reins is heard industry i am glad she came to me for some of vice i also have the dealings

with the ministry said to undergo a very big reform but all i am doing is to see people who tell people the way that i see it hoping somebody will pick up the project. >> please stand up to give you the microphone. >> i of the executive director of the university we're so grateful you are here. also are based to publicly take you to stay at in the middle of the night to send us support and vice to

participate and we're so grateful to reach out to us here in washington d.c. king you talk further the afghan man is uncivilized in my work when i have found with all of these talented men and women to be strong and supportive of what wonderful father has been to brother so can you talk about the afghan man in this struggle? >>

. . >> it's of course open to women basically because it is women who have problems. but i found out 70% of the calls are initiated by men. fathers, brothers, friends,

uncles, who are worried about the situation in which a women appeared to them and so they will call and make sure it is legitimate and once they are reassured it's a good place for that person then the person calls. this is i think the best confirmation that there are men who care about their women. and i i think i am not saying anything that is untrue. i say there is no father who does not love his daughter. they love their daughters so much. they are really very close to their daughters. but eventually with the cultural

and from afar you think maybe they don't care for their daughters but they do care. >> thank you for that. all the way in the back. >> what is the enrollment rate of primary and secondary education and does afghanistan have enough resources to resources but their boys and their girls? >> it's a good question, i don't know the numbers, the statistics in afghanistan are not very precise. i do know know their articles at the beginning of last year which is about now that 1.3 million young people joined the first grade last year. now i don't have any

confirmation, i read that in the newspaper. our education system was extremely strong and has produced people like my husband the ambassador and other people. it was because we had a very fourth looking dream in 1990 she was the minister of education as she made sure a lot of people got scholarship to go and study abroad. but she insisted that everybody study education. i have a friend tell me that her father wanted to become a dr. but no, the scholarship was only for education so he became came back and became us teacher

in the school or university. so we had some very highly educated people who are running our schools and university. we have a very strong educational system. i'm sure we will confirm that all the afghans who came to the american university of beirut performed very well in comparison to the other students at the institution. because they have a very solid ground team. so i think we can do it, i don't think we have reached the point yet. i think at this point we have a ministry that needs to be reformed totally. we have to -- we need to know how many schools we have. you read the report that says some schools are only there on paper. we don't know how many

schools we have, we don't know how many children who attend. we have too many schools that have three shifts which means the first shift starts at 6:00 a.m. and finishes at 11:00 a.m. and and what does the child do afterwards? the last shift finishes at 9:00 p.m. there is a lot to be done in education. i'm confident that we can do it because we do have the experience. >> you mentioned queen -- have you studied her and have you taken some inspiration from her role? >> what happened is when i became a public person when i became a first lady that the public could reach out to a lot of people compare me to her. so yes i try to understand what her role was and what she was doing.

she was much more involved than i am. she she was a minister in the cabinet. she went everywhere with the king. i don't do that. i'm not interested -- she was young and maybe it was she felt it was her role and responsibility. i see my responsibility is to be there and to listen. i feel my responsibility is to be like in on bud's woman. a person person where people can come, complain and i never scold them, i scolded one group of students, they had, and they wanted me, they said we don't have a road and road and we need a paved road so -- it was in the center and i said okay. that's a good demand. the other one they said we need

to produce stuff off of the rivers i said fine, perfect. i i will convey your message and then they said, we don't have rules for schools. in winter we have the school next to the wall that gets the sun and in summer we go to the wall that gets the shade for the school. we need buildings. and and i looked at them, there are a group of 25 or 30 strapping young man and i said, you get together for one day or two days and you can build one or two room school. you are not going to wait for the government to come and build your school. don't be lazy. so i do call people out but very seldom. so i think my my role is much more to be a place where people feel safe to come and

save to be able to say what is on their heart. sometime at at least they feel they have been heard. >> you have been first lady now for 18 months and you have talked a lot about afghans. if you had have had to identify one thing the government come i don't want to get you in trouble, that the government needs to pay attention to in terms of empowerment of women, what would that be and i will ask a second question because it will be concluding, what your message to be for your united states and you had a very uniquely positive conversation

today and what would your message be to the united states if we could conclude on that? >> as i said in my speech, there's still a lot to do for women. but we are going in the right direction, that is what i feel. i think it is probably very difficult for people outside the government to understand how much work is ongoing within the government. i don't get to see my husband very often. he leaves early in the morning and comes back at sometimes 10:00 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. he has all the people around him. it's very interesting because the pps, the guards within the

presidential palace have had to change their shift because he stopped a very early and he is still up very late. so instead of having two shifts now they have three shifts so that they can cover him. but anyway, i think the government is trying very hard and whenever i see a detail or a case for the affirmative action team i raise it and i will see whether they will do something or not. so there will always be room for improvement especially it is only been one year because it took six months to get this into government. and and one your functioning. i think for one year we have done quite a lot. as far as the message to the american public, i'm very

tempted to say don't believe what they say in the newspaper. [laughter] >> there's a lot of skepticism towards the media. >> in this audience at least i can feel it. the administration itself knows what my husband is doing so i will not need to tell the administration anything but the american public, just remember that afghans are people like any other people, they have dreams and maybe their dream is to be able to live in a country where there is peace i just have been in morocco a few days ago and i have been in morocco when i was in my mid- 20s and morocco at this time the women are really at the same level.

i was pleasantly surprised but also very sad when i went to morocco only for three days but i could tell how much morocco had developed. how much life was pleasant and morocco. help people seemed at ease and pursuing their own goals, their own dreams, their ministers where outspoken and very well read and well trained. everybody was very happy, very hospitable. and i thought, oh my gosh this is exactly what it would be outside of the war. maybe this is what i'm feeling these days, i really i really understand the cost of war.

war destroys and that it's very difficult and it is very time-consuming to build again. but the people of afghanistan want peace. they want to be able to live in their villages and live in their city. they want to have good schools. they have the same aspiration as people everywhere in the world. and i do hope that we will be able to give it to them. thank you. >> thank you very much. the the time is up, that was an excellent conversation, very positive, engage in conversation. please join me in thanking the first lady of afghanistan. [applause]. [inaudible]

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[inaudible conversation] [inaudible conversation] [inaudible conversation] >> coming up on c-span to book tv, highlights from recent book festivals. the, panel on women in washington including peter, author of michelle obama, then linda hirschman author of sisters and mom, about sandra day o'connor and ruth bader ginsburg. historian discusses the influence of dissenting legal opinions in his book, dissent and in the supreme court. then former white house press secretary talks about her memoir and the good news is.