Recipients of Culture Grand Awards announced

ANKARA

This year’s winners of the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards were announced on Dec. 10. The recipients were chosen by the Culture and Arts Policies Committee, which is headed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. 

According to a written statement released by the Presidential Press Information Center, the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards will be given to Mehmet İpşirli for his efforts in the field of history and social sciences, Türker İnanoğlu in the field of cinema, Erol Sayan in the field of music and İzzet Keribar in the arts and photography field. 

The committee decided to give this year’s loyalty award to the late Ottoman-born Turkish poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who wrote the lyrics of the Turkish National Anthem. He is also best known for his work “Safahat.” 

The committee members included historian Murat Bardakçı, Mehmet Özçay, İskender Pala, Havva Hümeyra Şahin, Ümit Meriç, Rasim Özdenören, singer Orhan Gencebay and actress Hülya Koçyiğit Soydan, as well as Turkish Presidency Communications Director Fahrettin Altun and Chief of Cabinet of the Presidency Hasan Doğan. 

The award ceremony will be held on Dec. 19 at the Presidential Palace in Ankara.