Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award winners announced

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced the winners of this year’s Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards, with late Turkish folk poet Aşık Veysel being honored with the loyalty award.

The winner of the award in the field of music was Ajda Pekkan, while Yılmaz Erdoğan received the cinema award for his screenwriting and acting.

Ayla Algan, who has been interested in theater since a very young age and has been engaged in both acting and giving acting training, earned the theater award.

The literature award went to 86-year-old poet Yavuz Bülent Bakiler.

The winner of the award in the field of painting was the 82-year-old painter Süleyman Saim Tekcan.

The science-culture award was bestowed upon theologian-writer Hayrettin Karaman.

The award in the field of cartoon animation was given to cartoonist Varol Yaşaroğlu, while the gastronomy award was given to Ömür Akkor and Yunus Emre Akkor.

Tan Sağtürk, who is one of the renowned figures of ballet in the country and trained many talented ballets at the academy he opened, became the winner of the dance-ballet award.

Hilmi Şenalp, the architect of various mosques, won the award in the field of architecture, while Sevan Bıçakçı won the award in craft and Gülbün Mesara won the award in the field of traditional arts.

“I congratulate our esteemed artists, people of science and culture who are entitled to receive the Presidential Culture and Art Grand Awards with my most sincere feelings,” Erdoğan stated on social media.

“I commemorate our great folk poet Aşık Veysel, the winner of the Loyalty Award, with mercy,” he added.

Veysel Şatıroğlu, widely known as Aşık Veysel, is an essential representative of Turkish folk poetry bard culture, who is still remembered for his verses championing peace, harmony and unity in society.

Veysel was a source of inspiration for Joe Satriani, a celebrated electric guitar virtuoso.

In 2015, actor Yılmaz Erdoğan won the Best Supporting Actor award in the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts awards with his performance in the film “The Water Diviner” directed by Russell Crowe.