Tatar-inform wins Turksoy’s journalism award

Tatar-inform information agency has won Turksoy journalism award. The official award ceremony and opening of Hadun Taner Year are to take place later in the day in Ankara. A total of 23 journalists from the Turkic world’s leading media are given the 2014 Turksoy award. At the Tatarstan Culture Ministry’s recommendation, Tatarstan is represented by counsellor to Tatmedia agency’s director general Rimzil Valeev and Tatar-inform culture observer Lucia Kamalova.

The award will be presented to journalists from Macedonia, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Bashkortostan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Dagestan and Khakasia as well.

Republic of Turkey Prime Minister Office’s Department of Public Diplomacy Coordination has, in conjunction with Turksoy, arranged an extensive programme between 22 and 28 February. On the first day, the guests visited Ankara’s historical and cultural sites, the Tower of Ankara and Ataturk and Liberation War Museum. On 23 February, official meetings with Turksoy and other entities executives took place in Ankara.

At a meeting with journalists, Department of the Press and Information director general Jamaletdin Hashimi congratulated the reporters on having won the prestigious award, recalling that it was presented for the sixth time.

“Our relations can be expanded by art workers – artists, authors, and, of course, journalists,” he said. “The stronger our cooperation is, the more stable we are as a region, and the whole world.” The Turkic countries needed to base their cooperation on politics, history and culture, the official said.

The reporters were briefed on the work done by Department of Turks Abroad. Department’s chief Kudret Bulbul spoke about projects run to support Turks living in various parts of the world, as well as about programmes run in Turkey, including scholarships for foreign students studying in Turkey.

Reporters made proposals on Turksoy’s future work, after which an exchange of commemorative gifts took place.

The next official meeting took place at Department of Crises and Emergencies Management. Department’s chief Erkan Doganai spoke about a support programme for refugees arriving in Turkey. According to official statistics, in the last year alone over 1.5 million people have come to Turkey from Syria.

“It is, of course, the most impressive migration that has ever taken place in the history of our republic,” the official said.

Turkey runs programmes aimed to help up to 50 states as well, housing 25 temporary accommodation centres for refugees. Answering a question from Tatar-inform, he said that Turkey had in 3.5 years allocated over $5 billion to help refugees.

The delegation of reporters will later today visit Turkish media, after which the Haldun Taner Year will be opened and Turksoy award presented.