The fourth event marking the 10th anniversary of Anadolu's İstanbul Photo Awards began in Ankara on Wednesday evening.
Held at the CerModern Arts Center, the exhibition showcases award-winning photographs from the globally renowned news photography competition.
With this display, Ankara follows Istanbul, New York, and Brussels, where previous exhibitions were held.
The opening ceremony was attended by Anadolu CEO Serdar Karagöz, Palestinian Ambassador to Türkiye Faed Mustafa, Serbian Ambassador to Türkiye Aca Jovanovic, and Nicaraguan Ambassador to Türkiye Tatiana Daniela Garcia.
Addressing the audience, Karagöz highlighted the genocide perpetrated by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people, which has been unfolding before the world's eyes for over a year.
Referring to the photograph titled "A Palestinian Woman Embraces the Body of Her Niece" by Palestinian photojournalist Mohammed Salem, which won first prize at the İstanbul Photo Awards, Karagöz stated: "This photo will leave its mark on the next 10 years, 20 years, 100 years and will never make us forget this genocide."
Karagöz underlined the role of journalists in documenting war crimes and genocides throughout history.
"We are the voice of a conscience that reveals the truth in this age we live in today," he said.
He also mentioned Anadolu's publications, such as 'Evidence', 'Witness', and 'The Perpetrator', which document Israeli war crimes. Karagöz noted that historians in the future will study these photographs to evaluate and judge history.
He invited photographers from across the globe to participate in the İstanbul Photo Awards, emphasizing that submissions for the 2025 contest are now open.
This year's exhibition reflects major global events, including Israel's ongoing genocide in Palestine and the February 2023 earthquakes in southern Türkiye, described as "the disaster of the century."
The 2024 competition attracted over 20,000 entries across categories such as news, sports, environment, portraits, and daily life, with awards going to 32 photographers in 10 categories.
Supported by Turkcell as the communications sponsor, Sony as the award sponsor, and Turkish Airlines as the airline sponsor, the event also receives international sponsorship from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).
Applications for the 2025 contest remain open until Jan. 10, 2025, at [istanbulphotoawards.com](http://istanbulphotoawards.com).
Serbian Ambassador Jovanovic shared his thoughts on the exhibition, noting the strong impact of the photographs.
"My first impression is that all these photographs show a great tragedy, a great pain," he said.
"We must admit with a big sadness that all these photographs represent a great pain, a great sadness," Jovanovic added.
He noted that the photograph that received first prize in the contest was the one that impressed him the most.
