Türkiye’s Ambassador to Athens Çağatay Erciyes takes part in AA’s “Photo of the Year” voting

Erciyes Reviews Iconic Images Reflecting 2025 from Anadolu Agency’s Lens

Turkey’s Ambassador to Athens, Çağatay Erciyes, participated in Anadolu Agency’s (AA) “Photo of the Year” voting, reviewing photographs that captured some of the most impactful events of 2025 in Turkey and around the world.

The competition, sponsored by lifebox, AJet, and ROKETSAN, featured 112 photographs across six categories, all taken by AA photojournalists and correspondents.

“Gaza: Hunger” Category Highlights Human Tragedy

While reviewing photographs in the “Gaza: Hunger” category, Ambassador Erciyes emphasized the documentary power of AA’s work:

“The photographs taken by AA journalists in Gaza also document the genocide carried out by Israel. Each of these images is extremely valuable and significant.”

Erciyes cast his vote for AA photojournalist Ali Jadallah’s image titled “Food Distributed to Palestinians Struggling with Hunger in Gaza.”

Referring to the photo depicting children waiting for food aid distributed by a charity organization, he added:

“The expressions on the children’s faces reflect the conscience of all humanity.”

Celebrating Culture, News, and Sports

In the “Portrait” category, Erciyes selected “Years Later” by Ahmet Aslan, portraying women in Çomakdağ village in Muğla’s Milas district, preserving 500-year-old traditions through their colorful attire.

“This portrait reflects Muğla’s and Anatolia’s rich cultural heritage. The clothing of the two Anatolian women makes this a highly successful photograph,” he said.

For the “News” category, Erciyes voted for “Our Blue Homeland” by Arif Hüdaverdi Yaman, depicting the naval parade held in the Istanbul Strait as part of TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland, featuring TCG Anadolu and TCG Savarona.

“This photo is extremely valuable for capturing our Navy’s Bosphorus passage during TEKNOFEST,” he noted.

Sports, Nature, and Daily Life Through the Lens

In the “Sports” category, Erciyes chose “Alperen”, a photograph showing the struggle between Alperen Şengün of Türkiye and Kostas Papanikolaou of Greece during the FIBA Men’s EuroBasket semifinal.

Recalling that the match was watched jointly by Turks and Greeks at the Embassy, Erciyes said:

“It was an unforgettable day. We unfortunately lost the final, but this image reminds us of that match and Alperen’s outstanding performance.”

For “Nature and Environment,” Erciyes selected “Scale Corridor” by Özge Elif Kızıl, showcasing the underwater biodiversity of Galapagos National Park in Ecuador.

Noting that he is also a diver involved in underwater photography, Erciyes said his personal interest influenced his choice.

In the “Daily Life” category, he voted for “Airway” by Elif Öztürk, a black-and-white photograph capturing snowfall over Maiden’s Tower (Kız Kulesi) in Istanbul.

“The Maiden’s Tower, migrating birds, and Istanbul’s skyline in the background make this image deeply impressive,” he remarked.