German-Turkish friendship award

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prize sculpture

The German-Turkish Friendship Prize is a prize that has been awarded in various categories by the Munich German-Turkish Friendship Federation since 2001 . The aim is to improve German-Turkish friendships .

The award sculpture

The award sculpture made of bronze, silver and gold was created in 2000 by the Munich artist H. Peter Irberseder and is limited to only seven casts each year. Two columns nestling against each other symbolize the two cultures. While the cross-sections of the columns - one golden, the other silver - make the difference between cultures clear, the constellation of the two columns symbolizes a harmonious and friendly atmosphere.

Well-known award winners

Federal President a. D. Johannes Rau

In 2002, Erkan Aki and the then Federal Minister of the Interior, Otto Schily, were among the winners.

2003 received the award u. a. Fritz Pleitgen in his function as director of the WDR , who shows a special commitment to peaceful coexistence in Germany.

The prize was awarded in Solingen on May 29, 2005 , not least as a conciliatory gesture after the arson attack in 1993 . Prize winners included a. Faruk Şen , Stefan Raab and Johannes Rau , to whom the award was presented by the then chairman of the Turkish opposition, CHP Deniz Baykal . Rau was honored on the one hand for his services to foreigners in Germany and on the other hand for his general commitment to integration and tolerance. At the time of the award, his health was visibly weakened, but he still accepted the award personally and received a standing ovation for minutes for his admonishing words to the Turkish and German-born citizens.

In 2007 MPs Sevim Dağdelen ( Die Linke ), Ekin Deligöz ( Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen ) and Lale Akgün ( SPD ) received the award in the Politics category.

Media interest

The award ceremony met with greater interest from the Turkish media than from Germany. In 2005, the TV broadcaster TRT, for example, broadcast the event lasting several hours, in parts even live.

Web links