Musa Anter Journalism and Free Press Martyrs Awards are given for news articles in Kurdish, and in Turkish since 1993, dedicated to Kurdish journalist and author Musa Anter who was assassinated in 1992. The winners of the 30th Musa Anter Journalism and Free Press Martyrs Awards have been announced.
In the Kurdish news category, the award was given to Ferid Demirel for his news articletitled "Fermandarê rêxistina Ahrar'us Sarkkiyeyê ji Zanîngeha Artûklûyê derçûye," which was published on bianet.
In the Turkish news category, the first prize was awarded to Abdurrahman Gök, the detained editor of Mezopotamya Agency, for his article "Rojhilat ve Iran'dayim: Yeni bir Iran umudu," which helped to convey the slogan "Jin jiyan azadî" (Woman, life, freedom in Kurdish) to the world.
According to Mezopotamya Agency's report, the competition organized by Yeni Yasam Newspaper awarded prizes in five different categories: "Turkish News," "Kurdish News," "Photography (News Photography)," "Cartoon," and "Women's Journalism" in memory of Gurbetelli Ersöz.
The awards will be presented to the winners at a ceremony to be held in Kadiköy on September 22.
Here are the award categories and winners:
Turkish News Award:
The Turkish News Jury, consisting of Faruk Bildirici, Ali Duran Topuz, Banu Güven, Candan Yildiz, Nezahat Dogan, and Mehmet Ali Çelebi, awarded the first prize to Abdurrahman Gök for his article "Rojhilat ve Iran'dayim: Yeni bir Iran umudu," (I am in East Kurdistan and Iran: Hope for a new Iran" which shed light on the slogan "Jin jiyan azadî" during the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran and its significance.
Gurbetelli Ersöz Women's Journalism Award:
The Women's Journalism Jury in memory of Gurbetelli Ersöz, including Ceren Sözeri, Bircan Degirmenci, Arjin Dilek Öncel, and Safiye Alagas, honored Nazila Maroufian, a female journalist who interviewed Amjad Amini, the father of Mahsa Amini, after her murder in Iran. Maroufian played a crucial role in debunking the claim that Mahsa Aminî died of a heart attack, revealing the truth to the public.
Kurdish News Award:
The Kurdish News Jury, composed of Suna Tunç, Hatice Kamer, Rizoyê Xerzî, Remezan Ölçen, and Leyla Ayaz, awarded the first prize to Ferid Demirel for his article titled "Fermandarê rêxistina Ahrar'us Sarkkiyeyê ji Zanîngeha Artûklûyê derçûye," (Commander of war criminal organization in Syria graduates from university in Turkey) on bianet.
Photography Award:
The Photography Jury, with members Ramazan Öztürk, Özcan Yaman, Murat Baykara, Beritan Canözer, and Çetin Altun, recognized Ardil Batmaz for his photograph titled "Devletin Eli" with the first prize. The jury also decided to award Jüri Özel Ödülü to Sedat Suna and Efekan Akyüz.
Cartoon Award:
The Cartoon Jury, featuring Murat Ipek, Musa Keklik, and Askin Ayrancioglu, honored Erhan Yasar Babalik with the first prize in the cartoon category. The jury also decided to award the Jury Special Award to Muammer Kotbas.
Honorary Award:
The MEBYA-DER Association (Association for Solidarity and Cultural Exchange of Families Who Lost Their Loved Ones in the Cradle of Civilizations) was awarded the Honorary Award for their activities related to "those killed by the state."
About Musa Anter
Author, journalist, and activist. Born in Mardin in 1920, completed his secondary and high school education in Adana and studied law at Istanbul University. Musa Anter was assassinated in Diyarbakir in 1992.
On September 20, 1992, Musa Anter attended the Culture-Art Festival in Diyarbakir, signed his books. An armed attack was launched against Anter and his nephew, journalist-writer Orhan Miroglu in Cumhuriyet Neighborhood. Anter died, Miroglu was wounded. The attack was allegedly conducted by the Gendarmerie Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism Organization (JITEM), a controversial wing and intelligence agency of the Gendarmerie.
It was during the 1937-38 Dersim Revolt that he was taken into custody for the first time. He was among the founders of Revolutionary Eastern Culture Hearths, the Labor Party of People, the Mezopotamya Cultural Center, and the Istanbul Kurdish Institute.
After leaving the Faculty of Law in the third year, Musa Anter started writing for Sark Postasi and Dicle Kaynagi. He was imprisoned in 1959 because of his Kurdish poem "Qimil/Kimil" published in Ileri Yurt newspaper. Anter was also faced with life imprisonment in the lawsuit known as "case of the 49". He was arrested in 1963, sent to exile in 1967, and imprisoned after the military coups in 1971 and 1980.
Throughout his life, Anter wrote for Ileri Yurt, Dicle-Firat, Baris Dünyasi, Deng, Yön, Azadiye Welat, Yeni Ülke, Özgür Gündem, Rewsen and Tewlo. He also published seven books and one Kurdish-Turkish Dictionary.
Source: English Bianet