Turkish-American Media Friendship Night strengthens cultural and journalistic ties in New York”

Organized by the Global Journalists Council (KGK), a historical documentary exhibition was opened in the U.S. for the first time, and American andr Turkish journalists shared the same stage to receive awards.

Held at the Turkish House in New York City under the auspices of the Turkish Consulate General, the event brought together American journalists supportive of Turkey, Turkish media professionals working in the U.S., as well as prominent representatives of the Turkish community living in America. Turkish Consul General in New York, Muhittin Ahmet Yazal, personally attended the reception held prior to the event and greeted each guest individually. The organization received full marks from the attendees.

A UNIQUE EXHIBITION

Following the reception, the opening of the exhibition titled “America in Turkey: 1910–1970” was held, shedding light on the historical development of relations between Turkey and the U.S., featuring a wide range of documents from diplomatic records to press clippings, from traces of cultural activities to elements of social memory.

Speaking at the opening, KGK President Mehmet Ali Dim stated that the exhibition shed light on both the historical process and overlooked aspects of bilateral relations. Based on the archival collection compiled by Assoc. Prof. Sefer Darıcı and curated by Dr. Özgenur Reyhan Güler, the exhibition was presented to visitors. The exhibition, which included never-before-seen diplomatic documents, interesting press clippings, cultural traces, and elements of social memory, will remain open to art lovers until September 20. It will then be on display at the Paterson Museum in New Jersey from September 21–24.

Dr. Darıcı guided visitors through the works one by one. Curator Dr. Özgenur Reyhan Güler noted:

“This has been a valuable experience, combining archival materials from Prof. Darıcı’s personal collection with my curatorial work and academic studies. We first opened the America in Turkey exhibition and then crowned it with the International Media Friendship Awards organized by the KGK. It was a meaningful initiative, highlighting Turkish-American relations through diplomatic records, archives, photographs, and Ottoman documents spanning 1910–1970.”

Consul General Yazal: “Diffucult task accompllshwd”

After the exhibition, the International Media Friendship Awards, organized in line with KGK’s mission, were presented to their recipients.

In his opening remarks, Consul General Yazal emphasized the power of the media and its contribution to public diplomacy, expressing his pleasure in hosting the event:
“We actually combined two entirely different activities that could each have filled an evening on their own. The exhibition was truly fascinating. Perhaps for the younger generation, it may be hard to grasp, but for my generation it reminded us of a time when we got our news from newspapers, when journalism, the pace of the world, and diplomacy itself moved much slower. It makes us reflect on how far we’ve come since then, while also showing how closely developments in America were followed in Turkey, even in an era when news was so difficult to obtain and spread.”

He added:
“Passing by the exhibition, I recalled the past and thought about how our press managed to operate under those conditions. We also discussed with the organizers and curators about holding similar exhibitions in the future. As for the awards, many journalists here work tirelessly, whether covering the Turkish-American community, developments in the U.S., or the United Nations. Covering the entire world through the UN is no easy task, yet our journalists do it, while also supporting us in publicizing our activities here. That is why I am grateful to all of them, without distinction. When KGK’s U.S. representative Dilek Kaya first presented this idea, we thought it was a very good one, though also a challenging task. Bringing people from Turkey, organizing the exhibition, and coordinating everything is not easy. Pulling off such a complex event is a remarkable achievement.”

Dim: “In line with our mission”

KGK President Mehmet Ali Dim then took the stage:

“For us, journalists working in the U.S., whether American or Turkish, are all valuable. Those who are friends of Turkey are especially precious. The awardees tonight are American journalists who are supportive of Turkey, as well as distinguished Turkish journalists who have represented Turkey in the U.S. for many years. KGK is not only a professional organization but also one that contributes to public diplomacy. This event perfectly aligned with our mission of supporting our country through media diplomacy.”

THE AWARDS

Presented by Dilek Kaya, the awards ceremony continued with the following honors:

• Aytan Mammadil Rilley (İHA): Best U.S. Media Operations Award

•  Yavuz Donat: Behzat Barış Honor Award

• Şerife Çetin (Anadolu Agency): Best UN Correspondent Award

• Yunus Paksoy (CNN Türk): Best Diplomacy Correspondent Award

• Bünyamin Sürmeli: Best Climate Journalism Award

• Özgenur Reyhan Güler: Best Sustainable Diplomacy Award

• Bryce Pease Sherwin (SABC News): Best Journalist Award

• Edith Lederer (UNCA): Best Diplomacy Journalism Award

• Mustafa Bassim (Anadolu Agency): Best Photojournalism Award

• Frank Ucciardo: Best TV Diplomacy Journalism Award

• Deniz Çelik: Best Digital Content Award

• Hakkı Akdeniz: Best Digital Photography Award

• Turkish-American Friendship Awards: Ali Rıza Doğan, Erhan Yıldırım, and Jane İlknur

The award plaques were presented by Consul General M. Ahmet Yazal. In addition, plaques of appreciation were presented by KGK President Mehmet Ali Dim, Vice President İsmail Bayazıt, Deputy President Nalan Yazgan, Founders Yavuz Donat and Aynur Tattersell, UK Representative Alparslan Düven, and U.S. Representative Dilek Kaya to individuals and institutions supporting the organization.