Anadolu Agency launched an exhibition at United Nations headquarters in New York featuring the works of award-winning photojournalists who competed in the international Istanbul Photo Awards 2019.

The event, hosted by high-level Anadolu Agency executives, opened with the attendance of Turkey's UN Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Sinirlioglu said: “We are very pleased to see the growing interest that Anadolu Agency’s annual photo awards have enjoyed over the years.”

Some 15,000 people from over 100 countries applied for this year’s competition, he called, and congratulated the jury members and those whose photos are on display.

Sinirlioglu highlighted that the photos depict many different emotions and expressions from the devastating impacts of natural disasters on people to the hope in the eyes of migrants who risk their lives for a better future.

“This exhibition puts the human phase on some of the most challenging issues that we as member states deliberate everyday here under the roof of the UN,” Sinirlioglu added.

He said that a photo may worth a thousand words with all its reality.

5th exhibition of Istanbul Photo Awards 2019

Bahadir Saracgil, an executive board member of Anadolu Agency, said that the event was the fifth exhibition of Istanbul Photo Awards 2019.

“As Anadolu Agency, we have witnessed photojournalists’ occupational devotion in our 100 years of journalism history. For this reason, we have initiated our Istanbul Photo Awards projects to reward the efforts of photojournalists and to encourage them,” Saracgil said.

Stating that submissions have opened on Nov. 1 for the sixth time, Saracgil said: “It is proud and exciting for all my colleagues to see that it [the competition] has a greater impact every year across the world.”

“In 2019, photographers from over 100 countries, including war, conflict and disaster areas such as Syria, Mexico, France and Indonesia, applied for our contest with 15,000 photographs.

“The jury, consisting of experienced editors and photojournalists, rewarded 12 photographers from 10 countries,” he said.

“We are happy to exhibit the same photos in another continent, while the exhibition we opened in Tokyo last month is ongoing. This situation proves the universality of news photography, which is one of the starting point of our contest,” Saracgil expressed.

He voiced hope that striking photos presenting the summary of the last year will be submitted for the contest, of which applications will be open until Jan. 31, 2020.

Saracgil also said that after three-month application process, most impressive photos of the year will be announced in March.

“I would like to thank in your presence to Turkish Cooperation and Cooperation Agency (TIKA) and Turkish Airlines who carry our country's flag with pride all over the world and have always supported this important project since its first day,” he said.

Great pride for Anadolu Agency

“It is a great pride for us. This is the fourth exhibition of Anadolu Agency at the UN,” said Ali Turker Pirtini, another executive board member of Anadolu Agency.

He expressed hope other similar works of the agency and Turkey’s representatives to be exhibited at the headquarters in the future.

“Power of photograph reaches everywhere. It gives great acceleration in every aspect in terms of giving desired messages in a very accurate and impartial manner,” Pirtini said.

Among the attendees of the exhibit were the UN staff, foreign mission representatives and foreign journalists.

Anadolu Agency on Tuesday launched an exhibition in the Japanese capital Tokyo which features the works of award-winning photojournalists who competed in the international Istanbul Photo Awards 2019.

The Yunus Emre Institute's building in Tokyo is hosting the Istanbul Photo Awards exhibition, this year’s first overseas exhibition, sponsored by the Turkish Airlines and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

"It is proud and exciting for all of my colleagues to see that the competition has a greater impact every year around the world," said Mustafa Ozkaya, Anadolu Agency's deputy director general, referring to the beginning of submissions for the 2020 event.

In 2019, Ozkaya said, photographers from more than 100 countries -- including Syria, Mexico, France and Indonesia -- and including war, conflict and disaster-hit regions, applied to contest with approximately 15,000 photographs.

Stating that he is pleased to open an exhibition in Tokyo, Ozkaya said that the last exhibition of 2019 will be held in New York in December.

Ozkaya thanked Turkey’s national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) for assuming the official sponsorship of the contest as well as Yunus Emre Institute for hosting it.

"There is a photograph that reflects the world, there is a photograph that depicts a relationship. Surely there are many languages of the photographs," said Hasan Murat Mercan, Turkish Ambassador to Japan.

Mentioning the deep-rooted ties between Turkey and Japan, Mercan said that economic and cultural exchange between the two countries is growing.

Among the attendees of the opening ceremony were Muhammet Salih Demirkan, Anadolu Agency's deputy chairman of the board; Ural Yesil, director of Human Resources and Administrative Affairs; Huseyin Tuna, director of Yunus Emre Institute Tokyo; and Hiroki Sugita, a representative of Kyodo news agency, Jiji Press Photo President Taisei Ogawa and Jiji Press Photo International Relations head Hirofumi Motoyama.

Tokyo will host the exhibition until the end of the year.

Visitors will be able to view the winning images of the annual international photography contest, organized by Anadolu Agency.

Entries in the contest depict political incidents, migration crisis, natural disasters and striking life stories worldwide.

Anadolu Agency's international news photo contest to accept submissions through Jan. 31, 2020

Submissions have opened for Anadolu Agency's 2020 Istanbul Photo Awards, the news agency announced.

The international photo contest will accept applications until Jan. 31, 2020, according to a statement from the agency. This year marks the sixth anniversary of the contest, which is open to professional photographers.

The Istanbul Photo Awards is organized by Anadolu Agency, which has worked with a great number of photojournalists throughout its 100 years in journalism and aims to support the profession of photojournalism.

Photographers across the world are expected to submit images capturing global events over the past year. Mainly focusing on news and sports photos, the contest has four categories: Single News, Story News, Single Sports, and Story Sports.

Next March, an international jury will meet to select the winners who will receive awards yet to be announced.

Previous contestants of the competition think it was "successful" in terms of contributing to global visual news.

Socrates Baltagiannis, a freelance photojournalist and documentary photographer based in Athens, Greece described the contest as one of the "most notable annual competitions," in a written interview with Anadolu Agency.

"I do believe that it is a successful contest and that through the years of its existence has succeeded to become one of the most notable annual competitions regarding photojournalism worldwide," said Baltagiannis, who was one of the finalists in the Single News category in the 2016 Istanbul Photo Awards.

'High quality photos'

The quality of the photos is always of a high level, both in terms of pictures and the subjects they depict, said Baltagiannis.

He underlined that the contest contributed to global visual news in many ways, including giving the chance for people to "see, think and evaluate major events", as well as offer the means -- via its prizes -- for photojournalists to continue their work, on account of the difficulties faced by the profession in recent years.

The Istanbul Photo Awards, as with all photojournalism contests, plays "a big role" in continuing to promote quality photojournalism, Istanbul-based Australian photographer Chris McGrath told Anadolu Agency in a written interview.

McGrath won this year for his series "A Journalist's Murder" taken in the wake of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

Underlining the importance of the competition in terms of "creating a visual archive of historic events," he said: "For many photographers, it is an outlet for presenting the work they've done over the year, work that will enter the archives of photo contests globally and continue to keep those stories in the public eye. And that's a very important part of photojournalism - creating a visual archive of historic events.

"Over the years, from what I have seen, the Istanbul Photo Awards has endeavored to make itself into a truly international photo award. The jury has supported international stories and issues by selecting the most truthful, relevant and unbiased photographs or stories of the year," he said.

McGrath said he planned on entering the competition again this year.

"As a staff photographer for Getty Images, at the end of every year, I enjoy the process of looking through the stories I have done and editing the best sets of photographs.

"I think the process can also help young photographers take a little step back at the end of the year and look at what they have done in the year and learn from that," he said.

Hosam Salem, an Istanbul-based Gazan freelance photojournalist, also hailed the "successful" and "distinguished" contest.

Salem received the Young Photojournalist award in 2017 with his photograph "Street Training in Gaza".

Asserting that the contest showcased the most powerful and distinguished photos and events throughout the world, he said: "After I won, I decided to participate the following year and the next."

"I will participate this year [...] with photos from outside of Gaza this time," he added.

The winner of Photo of the Year in Single News category will be awarded $8,000, while winners in other categories will be given $5,000 for first prize, $3,000 for second prize, and $1,500 for third.

All previous winning photos are available on www.istanbulphotoawards.com and professional photographers can apply for 2020 contest on the same website.

The third exhibition of the award winning photographs of the "Istanbul Photo Awards 2019" organized by Anadolu Agency (AA) for the fifth time this year opened at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (IGS).

Şaban Kızıldağ reminded that this year's third exhibition of the Istanbul Photo Awards, the international news photography contest organized by AA, was opened in the opening speech.

Kizildag, stated that AA has a long history of witnessing photojournalists’ professional devotion in events like wars and natural disasters through its 100-year news agency tradition. "In this process, our experience has taught us to encourage young photojournalists by encouraging them and we started our Istanbul Photography Awards project. " he said.

"The contents of wars and conflict zones, such as Syria, Myanmar, Mexico and Indonesia, photographers from more than 100 countries have applied to our contest with approximately 15,000 photographs.

"We expect many photos from the Operation Peace Spring"

Kizildag stated that this year’s applications for the contest will start on November 1st as every year. “After the three-month application process is complete, we will be sharing with you the most impressive photos of this year in March. " he said.

Kızıldağ emphasized that the photographs will continue to be exhibited in many different cities such as Tokyo and New York until the end of the year. "I would also like to thank TIKA and THY, who have proudly carried our country's flag all over the world and supported this important project since the first day." used.

"The exhibition opens on the day that the ISG terminal building celebrates its 10th anniversary"

Stating that opening the Istanbul Photo Awards 2019 exhibition on the 10th anniversary of the ISG terminal building is a very good coincidence, Kızıldağ said, "I would also like to thank ISG for hosting our 3rd exhibition on such an important day." said.

"Photo, visual memory of history"

Canan Soysal, ISG Corporate Communications Manager, stated that they hosted a special exhibition on a special day. said.

ISG Airport in Turkey, underlining that one of the most important gateway to the world Soysal, "photography, visual memory of history. I'm guessing that marked the last year that saw huge interest in these photos." made the assessment.

Necip Cakmak Regional Director of ISG is not only providing a travel service at the airport, they also host an exhibition, stating that it is of great importance for other media organizations such as AA to ensure that people receive news.

In addition to informing the press as well as social tasks, Çakmak said, "What is happening in Syria and the world reports to us. The press has a very important role." said.

Çakmak expressed his wish for the exhibition to be auspicious and the continuation of similar activities. "I would like to thank AA officials for organizing such an event at our airport." he said.

Following the speeches, AA Board Member Kızıldağ presented a gift to Fikret Cömert, Assistant General Manager of ISG to thank him for his contributions.

Participants of the program, then under the guidance of AA Photo News Assistant Erhan Sevenler visiters toured the exhibition.

AA and ISG managers as well as art lovers and passengers participated in the opening of the exhibition which was announced to domestic and international passengers through announcements made in Turkish and English at the airport.

This year's third exhibition

After the first exhibition in Ankara, Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport was the third stop of the award-winning photographs of "Istanbul Photo Awards 2019", which continues to be exhibited in Beyoglu.

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and Turkish Airlines (THY) officially sponsored the photo contest from more than 100 countries this year with approximately 15,000 photographs.

The exhibitions presented a selection of political events, immigration crises, natural disasters and striking life stories from Palestine to North Korea.

Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport Terminal Operator with the contribution of ISG, the exhibition will be visited until November 30 at the international departures passenger exhibition area.

Anadolu Agency has opened its second exhibition in Istanbul, where award-winning news photographs of the international Istanbul Photo Awards 2019, are exhibited.

A selection from the most successful images of the international photography contest, held annually since 2015, has gone on display on Thursday at an exhibition hall of municipality building in the city’s lively Beyoglu district.

Istanbul's Provincial Culture and Tourism Director Coskun Yilmaz also visited the exhibition, while Anadolu Agency’s senior executives including Metin Mutanoglu -- deputy director-general and editor-in-chief -- and Ali Turker Pirtini, a member of board of directors, were also present at the event.

In an opening speech, Haydar Ali Yildiz, mayor of Beyoglu municipality, expressed his pleasure to host such an exhibition, which came on the same with the death anniversary of legendary Turkish-Armenian photographer Ara Guler.

"The news is hidden in detail. I think you can find all the details in a photo that you cannot find in an article. One single photo may tell what we try to tell in pages," Yildiz said.

"Anadolu Agency is an agency that we are proud of in terms of being a reliable news source. I celebrate and thank everyone, who exert efforts [for the exhibition].

"I want to reaffirm that we want to maintain the cooperation between the Beyoglu Municipality and Anadolu Agency," he added.

The winner of this year's Photo of the Year award was a photograph taken by Ahmad Gharabli of Agence France-Presse (AFP). The winner photo depicts a Palestinian woman retaliating an Israeli soldier's act to take her photo during protests against the U.S. decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

'One of the richest photo archives'

A photo was one of the "indispensable" elements of news, Saban Kizildag, another board member of the agency, said, and added: "We as Anadolu Agency, have created one of the richest archives in the world in our 100-year journalism journey."

Kizildag reminded that Anadolu Agency was established [in 1920] in order to announce the victories on the field during the War of Independence.

"Anadolu Agency has never given up its mission since that day, and continued to be the voice of the oppressed and will continue to do so," he stressed.

"Our experiences remind us to encourage young photo reporters by awarding their efforts. So, we launched our project of Istanbul Photo Awards," Kizildag added.

Around 15,000 photo reporters applied from many countries and conflict zones including Syria, Myanmar, Mexico and Indonesia, he said, adding: "Our contest awarded 12 photographers from 10 countries in both news and sports categories. It was not easy to make this selection for the jury consisting of experienced editors and photojournalists."

Anadolu Agency plans to open this exhibition also in other cities around the world including Tokyo and New York until the end of this year, Kizildag said.

The agency's board member also thanked Turkey’s national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) for assuming the official sponsorship of the contest.

The exhibition can be visited until Nov. 25.

Meanwhile, all the winning photos are available on www.istanbulphotoawards.com.