Erdal Öz Award presented

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Story writer Cemil Kavukçu is the recipient of this year’s Erdal Öz Award.

The Erdal Öz Literature Award, which has been presented every year since 2008 in memory of the founder of the Can Publishing House, was presented to Turkish story writer Cemil Kavukçı at a ceremony held on April 30 at Istanbul’s Pera Palas Hotel.

Presented by veteran Turkish actress and a close family friend, Müjde Ar, the ceremony opened with a speech by Öz’s son and Can Publishing House General Director Can Öz. Then the head of the selection committee, Semih Gümüş made a speech saying that the award was very meaningful to him due to his close friendship with Erdal Öz.

The recipient of this year’s award, Kavukçu, said that Öz had opened his arms to him at a time when he was about to give up writing. “The most important meaning of this award for me is that my name will be mentioned together with Erdal Öz,” he said.

Journalist-writer Kürşat Başar took the stage at the ceremony this time as a musician with his Kürşat başar Quartet. He performed Öz’s favorite song “Take Five” by Dave Brubeck, who recently died. Last the year the recipient of the Erdal Öz Literature Award was Turkish author and poet Murathan Mungan.