GYV presents Coexistence Awards to top public figures in Turkey
The GYV Award for Exemplary Behavior or Initiatives in the Societal Sphere went to Rakel Dink, the wife of Hrant Dink, the murdered editor-in-chief of the Agos newspaper. Two audiovisual and stage arts awards went to Kalan Music and Mahsun Kırmızıgül for his movie “Güneşi Gördüm” (I Saw the Sun).
Messages of brotherhood and tolerance were delivered at the Journalists and Writers Foundation’s (GYV) Coexistence Awards ceremony on Saturday in İstanbul, stressing the importance of mutual understanding.
The ceremony opened with speeches from poet Hilmi Yavuz, who is also the head of the 11-member selection committee, and GYV Chairman Mustafa Yeşil. Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Şahin, İstanbul Governor Muammer Güler, State Minister for Family and Women’s Affairs Selma Aliye Kavaf and several deputies also participated in the ceremony. In his opening speech Yeşil said since its inception in 1994, the GYV had advocated plurality, peace and the art of living together through organizing countless conferences and panels.
Noting that prejudice and discrimination are not the teachings of the Islamic faith or Turkish culture, Yeşil said that once the people act with the voice of their conscience, they will always accept others the way they are.
The ceremony was then followed by musicians playing individually and then as an orchestra as a sign of coexistence. The awards are delivered to outstanding individuals and institutions contributing to coexistence and social peace in six categories.
The Literature Award went to Elif Şafak, whose book “Aşk” (The Forty Rules of Love) became a bestseller in Turkey last year. Expressing her gratitude for being selected as a recipient, Şafak said special thanks go to the “invisibles”: her readers. The Scientific Research Award went to the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) for their extraordinary activities to promote coexistence through scientific research. Accepting the award on behalf of the organization, TESEV Chairman Can Paker said everyone at the institution worked round the clock to contribute to Turkey. Read more…
