“We should rebuild our national values of culture in global culture wars”
Speaking at the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards Ceremony, President Erdoğan said: “Every trend, which excludes national identity, national culture, value, ideal, virtue and morals, is doomed to be superficial. It is unfortunately impossible for us, too, to resist this global storm with works which are produced and consumed on a daily basis, and which have no depth or authenticity. We should rebuild and reproduce our indigenous and national values of culture, blending them with a global perspective, in global culture wars.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards Ceremony in Ankara.
Stressing that this year’s Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award in the field of photography has been granted to Palestinian journalist and photographer Ali Jadallah, President Erdoğan noted that his photographs have brought not only the horrible magnitude of the massacre in Gaza, but also the right and dignified resistance of the Palestinian people to the humanity’s attention, and said: “The photographs he has taken have aroused great interest in international community. His photographs have been presented as evidence at the case the Republic of South Africa has filed against Israel at the International Court of Justice. I, on behalf of myself, my nation and all the oppressed, congratulate my brother Ali Jadallah, who has documented the oppression in Gaza by capturing the truth at the risk of his life.”
“WE STAND FIRMLY BY THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE”
Remembering with grace the 283 journalists, 37 of them women, who have been massacred by Israel for just documenting the atrocity in Gaza, President Erdoğan pointed out that he once again salutes with respect the heroic struggle of the journalists that have been mercilessly killed by Israel, and said: “No matter how the Israeli government tries to hinder and silence, conscientious people and real journalists, who pursuit facts, continue to reveal what is going on in Palestine at the risk of their lives. We as a country and government that have taken crying out truths as a principle stand firmly by the Palestinian people without bowing down to anyone.”
“EVERY TREND THAT EXCLUDES NATIONAL IDENTITY IS DOOMED TO BE SUPERFICIAL”
Stating that neoliberal culture ruins numerous beauties regarding human with what is called a trend, President Erdoğan said that no one knows what awaits people in the future in a world when artificially generated poems, books, songs and movies reach hundreds of millions of people, and added: “Every trend, which excludes national identity, national culture, value, ideal, virtue and morals, is doomed to be superficial. It is unfortunately impossible for us, too, to resist this global storm with works which are produced and consumed on a daily basis, and which have no depth or authenticity. We should rebuild and reproduce our indigenous and national values of culture, blending them with a global perspective, in global culture wars. Obviously, I as a politician know it is never easy, and requires significant efforts, but we have more than enough experience and capacity to do it.”
The 2025 Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards were granted to Prof. Süleyman Seyfi Öğün in the field of science and culture, Yalçın Gökçebağ in the field of art, Yalçın Tura in the field of music, Prof. Fahri Işık in the field of Anatolian archaeology, and Ali Jadallah in the field of photography.
