Eylem Akdağ, a distinguished photojournalist from Mezopotamya Agency, has been recognised with the prestigious İzzet Kezer News Photography Award. The award was conferred for her evocative photograph, “The Weight of a Bag,” taken on 29 August 2022. The image immortalises a moment of profound grief and loss, shedding light on the harsh realities of conflict in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeast.
The photograph captures the moment when Ali Rıza Arslan, the father of Hakan Arslan, receives his son’s remains seven years after he lost his life during the imposition of a curfew in Diyarbakır’s Sur district in 2015. The remains, handed over in a plastic bag, symbolise the heavy burden of loss borne by families affected by the conflict.
The award, presented by the Contemporary Journalists Association (ÇGD), recognises outstanding contributions to journalism. It honours journalists who have demonstrated exceptional courage and commitment in their pursuit of truth, often in the face of significant adversity.
The ÇGD is a prominent organisation in Turkey dedicated to promoting and protecting the principles of modern journalism. The association is committed to upholding the freedom of the press, advocating for journalists’ rights, and fostering a culture of ethical journalism in Turkey. It recognises and honours outstanding contributions to journalism through various awards.
As well as Akdağ, several other journalists were recognised with various awards for their exceptional work in 2022:
News Award:
Timur Soykan was awarded for his series of articles in BirGün, including “Karanlık dünya bir çocuğu yuttu” (The dark world swallowed a child), “Utancın Fotoğrafları” (Photographs of Shame), and “H.K.G. yalnız değildir” (H.K.G. is not alone). The series highlighted the tragic story of H.K.G., a child victim of a dark world that everyone knew about but chose to ignore. The “dark world” in Timur Soykan’s article refers to a case of child abuse within a religious community in Turkey. The girl was allegedly subjected to years of sexual abuse from the age of six onwards. The abuse began when she was ‘married’ off in a religious ceremony to a 29-year-old man, Kadir İstekli, who was a member of the İsmailağa religious community, associated with the Hiranur Foundation. The ‘marriage’ and subsequent abuse were allegedly sanctioned by H.K.G.’s father, Yusuf Ziya Gümüşel, honorary president of the same foundation. The case came to light when H.K.G. herself reported the abuse to the authorities.
Uğur Mumcu Investigative Journalism Award:
Hale Gönültaş received this award for her piece “Selefi cihatçıların ribat mekanı” (The bastion of Salafi jihadists) in Kısa Dalga. She exposed the illegal activities of Islamic State (ISIS) members in Turkey, who were recruiting children into terrorism through so-called Quran courses.
Mustafa Ekmekçi News Award:
İsmail Arı was recognised for his articles in BirGün, “AKP içindeki kavganın son adresi Kızılay” (The fight within the AKP ends up in the [Turkish] Red Crescent), reporting on internal squabbles in the Justice and Development Party (AKP), and “Kızılay yöneticileri köşeyi dönmüş” (Red Crescent executives line pockets), shedding light on the corruption and internal conflicts within the Turkish Red Crescent, an important Turkish humanitarian organisation.
Rafet Genç News Award:
Asuman Aranca was awarded for her article “Cumhurbaşkanlığı Sarayı’nda inanılmaz hırsızlık: Erdoğan’ın dağıtacağı oyuncakları çaldılar” (Incredible theft at the Presidential Palace: Toys [President] Erdoğan planned to distribute stolen) in T24, which revealed the shocking theft toys of intended for impoverished children by employees within the Presidential Palace.
Tamer Arda Erşin and Gürkan Demirtaş received the same award for “IŞİD emiri kırmızı bültenle aranırken Konya Devlet Hastanesi’nde tedavi görmüş” (ISIS emir treated at Konya State Hospital while wanted under Red Notice), with ANKA.
Other Awards:
Column Award: “Sarallar soruşturmasının perde arkasında Soylu ile Aktaş arasında yaşananlar” (What happened between Soylu and Aktaş behind the scenes in the Sarallar investigation) – Tolga Şardan – T24
Behzat Miser City News Award: “Kentin Soluğu Yazı Dizisi” (The Breath of the City Series of Articles) – Uğur Şahin – BirGün
Interview Award: “Bir Aktroll’ün itirafları” (Confessions of a Government Troll) – Seyhan Avşar – HalkTV
Local News Award: “Lübnan’dan Hatay’a uzanan usulsüzlük iddiası” (Allegation of irregularities from Lebanon to Hatay) – Akın Bodur – İskenderun Ses
TV News Award: “Böbrek pazarlığı” (The kidney market) – Meral Danyıldız – Artı TV
Documentary Award: “Coğrafya Haberdir” (Geography is News) – Tunca Öğreten – Murat Baykara – Ömer Çakan – Voys Medya
Solidarity Award: Amasra mine workers and their families
