Executive for Getty Images and jury member of Anadolu Agency's Istanbul Photo Awards says event succeeded in drawing global attention to recent developments in Middle East

The Istanbul Photo Awards have succeeded in drawing global attention to recent developments in the Middle East region, said Georges De Keerle, an executive for Getty Images.

A jury of international professionals gathered last week to select the winning photographs of Anadolu Agency’s second Istanbul Photo Awards sponsored by Turkish Airlines.

A member of the Istanbul Photo Awards jury for the past two years, De Keerle said he was pleased to be involved in the contest once again.

De Keerle said he loved "Syrian Children Cry for Help" , the Photo of the Year 2016 which was taken by Syrian photographer Abd Doumany for news agency Agence France Presse (AFP). “Because it’s so simple and authentic."

"Basically, it’s the photo of a child screaming for help. He is unaware where this crazy war takes him… Any person who sees this photo defines this photo with the same words; sadness, unawareness, reasons and questions," explained De Keerle.

Talking about the recent terror attacks in Turkey, De Keerle said Turkey and the region needed stability.

"We don’t know how this stability can be provided, but I believe that the people in this region, people in Ankara and Istanbul only want peace. They want to go to Taksim in one piece."

Taken by Syrian photographer Abd Doumany for AFP, a powerful image showing a deep well of emotion in the eyes of a wounded boy, encapsulating the horror of the last several years in Syria, was chosen Photo of the Year 2016 by the international jury of the 2nd Istanbul Photo Awards.