Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Atatürk International Peace Prize

The Atatürk International Peace Prize (Turkish: Atatürk Uluslararası Barış Ödülü) is an award delivered since 1986 to award people and organizations who have made memorable contributions to world peace in accordance with Kemal Atatürk's quotation, "Peace at Home, Peace in the World".[1] It was created during the presidency of coup leader Kenan Evren,[2] by the Atatürk Association for Culture, Language and History.[3] The award is given to candidates nominated by members of non-governmental organizations, the Senate of Turkish universities and also the secretaries general of the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The president of Turkey as well as the speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey can also present candidates.[1] After the prize was not awarded for 13 years after 2000, in 2013 it was decided to award it only every five years.[4] An award was to be given in 2015,[4][5] but was no ceremony is documented. The next award was planned to be given in 2020, but again was not awarded after all.[1][6] It is now next planned for 2025.[6]

Laureates

Laureates of the Atatürk International Peace Prize
Year Laureate Position Comments
1986 Joseph Luns Secretary General of NATO
1987 Richard von Weizsäcker President of Germany
1989 Takahito Mikasa Japanese prince and academic At the award ceremony, he stated that world peace can only be achieved after poverty is eliminated.[7]
1990 Kenan Evren President of Turkey The fact that Kenan Evren was awarded with the prize is seen by some as the reason for why Nelson Mandela has not accepted the prize.[4]
1992 Nelson Mandela President of South Africa Nelson Mandela created an uproar in Turkish society when he did not accept the prize. Following this decision, the newspaper Hürriyet published an issue with the headline "Ugly African" (Turkish: Çirkin Afrikalı).[8] Mandela changed his mind and accepted the award in 1999.[9]
1995 Turkish Red Crescent Turkish NGO
1996 UNICEF Children emergency fund of the United Nations
1997 Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina peacekeeping force of NATO For their achievements in maintaining peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
1999 Heydar Aliyev President of Azerbaijan Several of his policies were inspired by Atatürk.[10]
2000 Rauf Denktaş President of the Turkish Republic of Cyprus

References

  1. ^ a b c "ATATÜRK INTERNATIONAL PEACE PRIZE PRESS RELEASE – AYK". www.ayk.gov.tr. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  2. ^ "Former Turkish President Evren dies". BBC News. 2015-05-09. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  3. ^ Turkey Today. Turkish Embassy. 1989. p. 4.
  4. ^ a b c "'Atatürk Barış Ödülü' 2015'te yeniden verilecek". Sabah (in Turkish). Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  5. ^ "Atatürk International Peace Prize".
  6. ^ a b "Atatürk peace award to revive after 25-year hiatus". Hürriyet Daily News. 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  7. ^ "Japan's Takahito Mikasa at 100: A Prince Among the Jews". Tablet Magazine. 2015-12-02. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  8. ^ "Hürriyet'in Mandela çarkı". Sabah (in Turkish). Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  9. ^ Turkish newspapers criticise of ANC leader Nelson Mandela for refusing to accept Turkey's peace award
  10. ^ "Atatürk Center in Azerbaijan". Hürriyet Daily News. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 2020-06-25.