Presidential award winners announced

ISTANBUL

Three artists who combine historical Turkish culture with a modern touch will be honored with the Presidential Grand Art and Culture Award. The ancient city of Zeugma in Gaziantep will also be recognized.

Selim İleri won the award for merging his love of literature with his passion for Istanbul in his work as well as bridging tradition and modernity. Professor Şükrü Hanioğlu, professor of late Ottoman history, was honored for sharing Turkish history on a global scale and Ahmet Hatipoğlu won the award for enriching Turkish classical and tasavvuf music and exposing a wider audience to its sounds.

According to a written statement by the presidential press center, Zeugma was chosen for the award for displaying Turkey’s archaeological richness in collaboration with the academic world, the Culture and Tourism Ministry and local administrations.

The upcoming award ceremony will be held at the Çankaya Presidential Mansion. The awards are presented each year to individuals and institutions that make an important contribution to Turkish culture and the arts and enrich the country’s cultural life.