Brussels hosts event for 10th anniversary exhibition of Istanbul Photo Awards

By Selen Valente

BRUSSELS (AA) - An official invitational event was held Thursday in the Belgian capital Brussels for the third exhibition commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Istanbul Photo Awards, an international news photo contest organized by Anadolu.

“As Anadolu, we have always believed in the power of visuality. As an international news photo contest, the Istanbul Photo Awards serves as a significant contribution to the photo world. This year, we are celebrating the first decade of this valuable contest,” Anadolu’s Deputy Director General Enis Peru said in his speech, referring to the exhibition, which features works by all the photographers who received awards in the competition.

Stressing the significance of the competition, Peru noted that over the past 10 years, a total of 185,000 photographs by 18,000 photographers had been showcased in the competition.

"It is an honor to see the contest evolve into a platform that celebrates how photographers experience life from all over the world,” he added.

Peru said the prestigious international jury had faced difficulty in selecting the best moments from the 10 categories, emphasizing that more than 20,000 photographs from around the world had been submitted to the competition.

He noted that the Photo of the Year award was given to Palestinian photographer Mohammed Salem for his photograph titled “A Palestinian Woman Embraces the Body of Her Niece.”

“Since Oct. 7 (last year), more than 41,000 people have lost their lives in Gaza, 150,000 homes have been completely destroyed, and more than 170 members of the press have been killed in Israeli attacks. As Anadolu, we continue to monitor Gaza closely to be the voice of humanity.

"Award-winning photographs reveal the harsh realities of the world. These photographs document human suffering and contribute to the collective memory of humanity," he added.

- Applications for Istanbul Photo Awards 2025 to open

Peru emphasized that the vision of the Istanbul Photo Awards is to become a strong global tradition, highlighting the competition's continued growth and international influence.

" On this occasion, I am happy to announce that applications for the 2025 Istanbul Photo Awards will open soon, and I invite all photographers to participate," he said.

Peru congratulated the 32 photographers who won awards and thanked those who participated in the competition and attended the event.

-Istanbul Photo Awards Exhibition in the heart of Europe

Türkiye's Permanent Representative to the European Union, Ambassador Faruk Kaymakci, expressed his gratitude, saying: "Thank you for attending the 2024 Istanbul Photo Awards exhibition, which marks a decade-long milestone bringing together talented, creative and passionate photographers from various styles, subjects and perspectives."

Stating the Istanbul Photo Awards is an international photojournalism competition organized by Anadolu, a global news agency with over 100 years of experience, Kaymakci added: "I’m pleased to be part of this exhibition, which is being held for the first time in Brussels -- the heart of Europe."

“This exhibition is also a significant contribution to the conscience of the rest of Europe. We must remember all Palestinians. We must remember all Ukrainians. We must remember everyone who gave their life to defend their country,” he added.

The ambassador also highlighted the diverse range of works at the exhibition, from breath-taking landscapes that capture the majesty of nature to intimate portraits from sports, daily life, and innovative photographs across various categories.

-Anadolu is a source of information and inspiration for people

Türkiye’s Ambassador to Belgium, Bekir Uysal, thanked Anadolu for organizing the event.

"Founded in 1920, Anadolu continues to be one of Türkiye’s oldest and most trusted institutions,” he said.

Recalling Anadolu’s history dating back to the Turkish War of Independence, Uysal underlined that the agency has always been a source of information and inspiration for the people.

“Anadolu has become an internationally recognized and respected agency,” he added.

Uysal highlighted that in recent times, Anadolu has also become the voice of the people of Gaza, who have been under attack and blockade.

“Anadolu’s commitment to continuously report on current developments, from humanitarian crises and natural disasters to political and social events, is commendable,” he added.

-Prestigious event by Anadolu

Referring to the famous saying “A picture is worth a thousand words,” Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to NATO, Ambassador Levent Gumrukcu, said: “I agree with this, because often it is impossible to capture and reflect the true meaning of a moment through books alone. You need to see it. You have to visualize it to understand what it really means.”

Gumrukcu pointed out that the photographs featured in the exhibition reveal the level of destruction, misery and brutality currently taking place in Gaza, Lebanon and Ukraine

He emphasized that photojournalists play a vital role in raising awareness and that their work deserves gratitude and recognition.

“I am deeply grateful and very happy that AA has organized such a prestigious event to honor, reward and appreciate the work of photojournalists,” he added.

Gumrukcu underlined that photojournalists have taken on the important role of raising awareness and this contribution deserves our gratitude.

-Strong interest in event

The event saw a strong turnout, with representatives from EU institutions, foreign missions, civil society organizations and a large number of Belgian and international media professionals in attendance.

Anadolu Deputy Director General Peru presented the book Evidence, which documents Israel's genocide in Gaza, to the Ambassador of Palestine to Belgium, Amal Jadou, who was present at the event.

The 2024 contest is supported by Turkcell as the communication sponsor, Sony as the award sponsor, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) as the international event sponsor and Turkish Airlines (THY) as the airline sponsor.

Details about the award-winning photographs are available at istanbulphotoawards.com.

The exhibition will be open to visitors at SR Gallery in Sablon until Nov. 18.