Turkish citizen given high British honor

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

UK’s Queen Elizabeth II (2nd L) welcomes President Gül (L) in London in this 2011 photo. AFP photo

Turkish citizen Doğan Tugay has been honored by Britain with Membership of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).

The British ambassador to Turkey, David Reddaway, announced yesterday that Queen Elizabeth II has approved the award of honorary MBE to Tugay, who has served as the honorary British consul in Marmaris, a resort town in Aegean Turkey, for the past 20 years.

Reddaway said this award is given in recognition of Tugay’s services to the British community in Marmaris and of his tireless efforts to promote U.K.-Turkish relations over many years.

Tugay also played an important role in helping with the evacuation of British nationals trapped in Libya, the ambassador said, according to a statement released by the British Embassy in Ankara. “Working closely with the Turkish government and the local authorities in Marmaris – without whose help many U.K. nationals could have been stranded in Libya – Mr. Doğan Tugay helped to ensure that a large number of British nationals left Libya safely and were reunited with their families,” said Reddaway in the statement.
Tugay thanked the Turkish government for its vital role in the Libyan evacuation efforts and said he “was very happy to contribute to this humanitarian rescue.”

The UK honors system rewards people from every section of the community for merit, service or bravery.