Anadolu Agency journos get 14 awards in Zoom contest

By Mumin Altas

ANKARA (AA) - Anadolu Agency journalists and cameramen were honored with 14 awards on Monday in a competition by Turkey’s Association of News Cameramen.

They received awards in seven categories at the 24th Zoom International News Videos Contest.

The award ceremony was held with the attendance of Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay.

Correspondents Omer Yasin Ergin, Ahmet Kaplan, Mehmet Akif Parlak, Mehmet Arif Altunkaynak as well as cameraman Yasin Dikme and photojournalists Emin Sansar, Arif Hudaverdi Yaman and Mahmut Serdar Alakus -- all of whom covered Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring -- were honored in News Footage of the Year category.

Correspondents Omer Ertugrul and Ahmad Al-Ahmad were also given awards in the sports news and independent news categories.

The Abdulkadir Nisanci Special Award, which was given for the first time this year in memory of an agency's late journalist who died in an unfortunate accident while on duty, was given to cameraman Servet Ulku.

Cameraman Kenan Yesilyurt was also awarded with the News Cameraman Ersin Cakir Special Award in memory of a prominent Turkish journalist who died of cancer this year.

Photojournalist Ozkan Bilgin was given an honorable mention, while Abdullah Coskun, photojournalist, received the Seker-Is Special Award.

Journalists, cameramen and photojournalists from other media outlets were also honored with various awards for their efforts in the Operation Peace Spring area.

Vice President Oktay handed the awards to their owners during the ceremony, which was attended by Kecioren district mayor Turgut Altinok, Anadolu Agency's International News Editor-in-Chief Faruk Tokat and Visual News Editor-in-Chief Hasan Oymez, among others.

*Writing by Sena Guler