GJC had a big meeting in Alanya

Global Journalism Council (GJC) Global Media Workshop and Global Media Achievement Awards ceremony took place in Alanya. A total of 156 journalists, including 37 foreign journalists from 21 countries, attended the meeting where the guest of honour was Ersin Tatar, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

In addition to the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ersin Tatar, Mikhail Gusman, Vice President of the World Russian Media Council and TASS Agency, Prof. Dr. Melek Şule Aker, President of the World Press Councils and President of the TRNC Press Council, Yavuz Donat, senior journalist and writer, Cengiz Özdemir, owner of Eko Turk TV channel and Dusen Kaseinov, former Secretary General of TURKSOY attended the award ceremony in Alanya.
The award ceremony was broadcast live on more than 20 Turkish and Cypriot TV channels. The ceremony started with a presentation in Turkish and English by Benan Kepsutlu, GJC deputy head of foreign media. GJC President Mehmet Ali Dim made the opening speeches of the programme. Then the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ersin Tatar spoke. GJC President Mehmet Ali Dim stated that 21 of the 58 country representatives and 156 members of the council in total attended the ceremony and noted that they have become a global organisation rather than a national one in recent years. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu addressed the participants of the programme via teleconference. Minister Çavuşoğlu said, “I wanted to be among you, but I regret that I could not be there due to other programmes. The Global Journalism Council has made great progress in a very short time. As a global media organisation with representatives in 58 countries in all continents of the world, it consists of honorary ambassadors who defend both our country and their profession. We are always trying to support it,” he said.
Speaking later, TRNC President Ersin Tatar said, “For a just and lasting sustainable solution in Cyprus, its sovereign equality must be recognised. Cyprus is the largest and strongest country in the region with Turkey’s right of guarantorship arising from international agreements. Despite the games played in the critical process, it is our desire that the Turkish military in Cyprus will continue forever as a deterrent force. The possibility that scares us is that the Turkish Cypriots may be dragged back to the pre-1974 period with the removal of Turkey’s guarantorship and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island. It is befitting for us to maintain a much more superior and national position by combining our national interests in the geopolitical, geostrategic and maritime jurisdiction areas, continental areas and skies of our region with the cooperation between Turkey and the Republic of Turkey both in Cyprus and in the blue homeland. We are doing that. This evening, I would like to sincerely thank Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, and the Global Journalism Council, who have provided us with extremely important support in these processes.”
AWARD CEREMONY
The Global Diplomacy Award was given to TRNC President Ersin Tatar, the loyalty award was given to Sabah Newspaper columnist Yavuz Donat, the Turkic World Award was given to TURKSOY past president Dusen Kaseinov, the media award was given to TRT Antalya Regional Director Hikmet Kocaman on behalf of TRT World Channel, and the journalism award was given to Crimean woman journalist Gülsüm Khalilova, who attracted the attention of the world with her broadcasts from Ukraine.
JOURNALISTS FROM GREECE
For the first time this year, the Global Journalism Council workshop and award ceremony was attended by GJC Greece representative Anna Andreou and representatives of 3 important Greek media organisations. This was also a remarkable step for the friendship and peace of the two communities.