Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended a literary award ceremony on Friday in Istanbul in the memory of Turkish poet and philosopher Necip Fazıl Kısakürek.
“The main success of the Necip Fazil awards is its contribution to liberation, enrichment and variation of our intellectual and artistic world,” Erdoğan said at the ceremony of Necip Fazil Kısakürek Awards for Literature and Research.
Erdoğan stated he believed that the mission of cherishing the memory of people working for greater causes, such as Necip Fazıl, could not be limited to a single group or institution.
Erdoğan also said he believed that the “strong Turkey” which Necip Fazıl dreamed of was going to be handed over to the next generations through these works of art.
PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN ANNOUNCED THE WINNERS
Arif Ay was awarded in the poetry category for his unique poems about the suffering of Turkish people in recent history.
Aykut Ertuğrul received the award in the story-novel category for his technique and authenticity in his stories. Ahmet Yaşar Ocak was awarded in the opinion-research category for his academic works on people reviving Anatolia. Yasemin Karahüseyin and Fatih Baha Aydın were given the award in the first work of art category.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Harb — who also translated one of Necip Fazıl’s books into Arabic — was awarded in the international award category, for encouraging people to learn about Turkish culture.
This year’s Prestige Award was given to Prof. Dr. Nevzat Atlıg for his efforts to convey Turkish classical music to the next generations.
The Necip Fazıl Kısakürek Awards Ceremony has been held annually since 2014.