Turkish scientist gets top British conservation award

LONDON - Anatolia News Agency

The Whitley Gold Award was presented to Dr. Çağan Şekercioğlu(L) by Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II. AA photo

Dr. Çağan Şekercioğlu, a Turkish scientist and instructor at the University of Utah, received the Whitley Gold Award, which is considered the most prestigious environmental award of the U.K.

The award was presented to Şekercioğlu by Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II.
 
Şekercioğlu , also the president of the North Nature Foundation, was chosen from among 167 wildlife conservators supported by the Whitley Foundation. He was given the award for creating the first wildlife passageway.

"I am proud to have the chance to make Turkey the only country that received the Whitley Gold Award for a second time," Şekercioğlu said.

He added that he did his best to explore and protect Turkish wildlife with his foundation.

Turkey had been given its first Whitley Gold Award in 2008 for projects to protect Kars’ Kuyucuk Lake.