Turkey: Musa Anter Journalism Awards announce winners

Musa Anter Free Press Martyrs Journalism Awards recognized their distinguished awardees in Turkey, with the foremost accolade bestowed upon incarcerated journalist Abdurrahman Gok, who voiced the struggles and aspirations of the Iranian Kurds in Rojhilat, spreading to the world their slogan "Jin, jiyan, azadi" (Women, Life, Freedom.)

These awards are in commemoration of Kurdish intellectual Musa Anter, who was assassinated in Turkey in 1992, and other press workers who were killed while in the line of duty. Organized annually by Yeni Yasam Newspaper, which is marking its 30th year, the award ceremony is set to take place on September 22 in Istanbul.

The competition has awarded accolades in five categories, namely Turkish News, Kurdish News, Photography (News Photography), Caricature, and Women Journalism. This year, the Turkish News jury awarded the first prize to incarcerated editor Abdurrahman Gok from Mezopotamya Agency for his piece, "I am in Rojhilat and Iran: A new hope for Iran," which chronicles the fight for freedom in the region.

The journalism sector also saw special awards conferred by the jury. Investigative works from Yesil Gazete, carried by Metin Yoksu and Dilan Pamuk, covering deforestation in Kurdistan and ecological devastation in Mugla-Yatagan, respectively, secured accolades. Ismail Ari from BirGun Newspaper also received an honor for his exposé on high levels of arsenic found in the Kizilay's mineral water.

In the Women Journalism category, the jury crowned Nazila Maroufian as the winner for her interview with Amjad Amini, following the murder of his daughter, Jina Mahsa Amini, in Iran. Maroufian was instrumental in debunking the Iranian regime's claim that Amini died of a heart attack, bringing the truth to the public eye.

Ferid Demirel clinched the top prize in the Kurdish News category. In the Photography category, Ardil Batmaz secured first place for his piece titled "The Hand of the State." The caricature accolade went to Erhan Yasar Babalik.

Moreover, the honor award was granted to the Association for Assistance, Solidarity, Unity and Culture Association of Families Who Lost Their Relatives (MEBYA-DER) for their efforts concerning those killed by the State.

In a critical assessment, the Turkish News Jury pointed out that while choosing the winners was a challenging task given the high quality of submissions, Abdurrahman Gok's series stood out for its journalistic excellence in detailing the sociopolitical crisis in Iran amidst a global spotlight, underscoring Gok's courage and extensive research despite the inherent dangers.