Jinnah Young Writers Awards Held In Ankara

ISLAMABAD, Nov 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Nov, 2020 ) :An awards ceremony for the fourth edition of "Jinnah Young Writers Award" essay competition was held in Ankara on Monday.

Deputy Minister for National education of Turkey Reha Denemec was the chief guest while principals, students and provincial heads of the Department of Education also attended the event.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event was held online. The award, named after the Founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, is the initiative of the Pakistan Embassy, organized in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education of Turkey. The theme for this year's competition was "Jinnah and Ataturk � two great leaders of the 20th century, a press release said.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Minister Reha Denemec said Pakistan and Turkey enjoyed fraternal ties deeply rooted in history.

He noted that Turkey would not forget the support given by the people of Pakistan during Turkish War of Independence, Canakkale War, and 2016 failed coup.

He recalled that when Ataturk sought support from the Muslim world during the War of Independence, people from areas now forming Pakistan were mobilized through speeches by great poet and philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal.

He emphasized that it "is our duty to strengthen Turkey-Pakistan brotherhood, which was established by ancestors and nurtured by successive generations".

Ambassador Syrus Sajjad Qazi, in his remarks, said the Jinnah Young Writers Award was one of the key initiatives of Pakistan's public diplomacy activities in Turkey.

He felicitated the participating students for their deep thinking, high quality information, and passion and perspective contained in the essays and termed their efforts a valuable contribution to the Pakistan-Turkey relationship.

The ambassador said Muhammad Ali Jinnah played a pivotal role in reinforcing the eternal brotherhood between the Turkish and Pakistani nations.

He said the vision of the leadership in both the countries was to transform the historic relationship into a strong strategic partnership.

Earlier, Burcu EYISOY DALKIRAN, Director General of EU and Foreign Relations of the Ministry of National Education gave details about the competition. She said a panel of judges evaluated the 11 shortlisted essays.

She also expressed the desire to hold similar competition in Pakistan as well.

Mustafa Cakir of Technical & Vocational Anadolu High school of Muratli, Tekirdag province clinched first position; Simay Yagmur Yilmaz of Private Altinyildiz Science High School of Merkez, Nevsehir province obtained second position; while Beril Akgun of Anadolu High School of Muratli, Tekirdag province secured third position.

Essays written by Nazli Can Bayraktar of Kocasinan Anadolu High School of Kayseri province, Sena Nur Gulsoy of 75 Year Republic Anadolu High School of Kayseri province and Feyza Nur Dolmaci of Osmangazi Huma Hatun Technical and Vocational High School of Bursa province were awarded "Honourable Mention."