Head of Communications Duran said, ''Photography is what shortens the distance between perception and reality. Today, we will all observe and witness this together at the exhibition.''
Speaking at the opening of the second exhibition of the "İstanbul Photo Awards 2025", an international news photography competition organised by Anadolu Agency (AA), at the Dolmabahçe Art Gallery, Presidency's Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran noted that the event offered a genuine perspective to the whole world.
Head of Communications Duran said, "Here, we are not only facing frames from sports, news, the environment, or daily life. In fact, unfortunately, we are also seeing many events happening across the world. More precisely, we are confronting reality.'' Emphasising that facing reality involves many sacrifices, Head of Communications Duran continued:
"Within the vision of 'A Fairer World is Possible' put forward by our President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we make every effort, taking this as our central reference, to ensure equal representation and the prevalence of truth in global media. In this regard, I believe that the photographs produced with great dedication will find their true audience on a prestigious platform such as the Istanbul Photo Awards. Therefore, I congratulate both Anadolu Agency and the hardworking professionals who brought these photographs together with such dedication."
Head of Communications Duran stated that photography is a profession carried out in very different geographies and under very different conditions. Noting that in photography, one cannot be content with professionalism alone—there must also be a passion, Head of Communications Duran said, "In fact, you will witness this passion in all the photographs exhibited here today. When we speak of photojournalists, we refer on the one hand to those who struggle selflessly to record the truth in crisis and conflict zones, and on the other, to those who trace cultural and human diversity. Through their endeavours, they make significant contributions to the collective memory and consciousness of humanity, producing powerful works."
''Photography is what shortens the distance between perception and reality''
Stating that words are sometimes not enough to describe certain moments, and that is when photographs come into play, Head of Communications Duran noted:
''Photography is what shortens the distance between perception and reality. Today, we will all observe and witness this together at the exhibition. I should also note that it serves as a document — in other words, 'Evidence.' As you know, the Anadolu Agency has published books documenting the genocide in Gaza, including one titled 'Witness.' Of course, the atrocities committed in Palestine, in Gaza, for nearly two years have deeply pained us. They fuel our anger and, at the same time, unfortunately, produce striking photographs that show the world that more than 63,000 people have been killed, that starvation is being used as a weapon, and that millions of Palestinians are subjected to various atrocities. More than showing, they are now crying out.''
Head of Communications Duran said Israel murdered nearly 250 journalists solely for documenting this genocide. Underlining that the records they left behind are monumental works that tear through silence and awaken the conscience of the world, Head of Communications Duran noted, ''Today, with the same gratitude, we address our photographers and journalists who continue to work in the field at the cost of their lives. As you know, the work of Palestinian photographer Saeed Jaras, titled 'Gaza–Deir al-Balah' and selected as 'Photo of the Year' at the İstanbul Photo Awards, is one of the most striking examples of this. In this photograph, one sees the cries of a mother and father holding the lifeless body of their child. This moment of massacre, this moment of genocide, represents a reality that could fill volumes of books, yet a single photograph conveys it so strikingly that it can reveal far more than what would remain in your mind even after reading countless volumes.''
''Anadolu Agency has accomplished an important task''
Head of Communications Duran expressed his hope to see "murderer Benjamin Netanyahu and his administration" held accountable with the harshest penalties in international courts and to witness the photographs documenting it, stating, "In this context, I would like to emphasise that Anadolu Agency has accomplished an important task. The books ‘Evidence’ and ‘Witness’ have been presented both to the International Criminal Court and to the conscience of the international community as documentation of this crime against humanity. I hope that these works, ‘Witness’ and ‘Evidence’, will serve as instruments in bringing Netanyahu and his criminal network to justice, and that we may take pride in this." Stating that we are in an era where visuals are produced with new communication technologies, Head of Communications Duran said the following:
"The digital universe is constantly moving into a new phase. In the recent past, for a photo whose authenticity we doubted, we would at most ask, ‘Is this photoshopped?’ or ‘Has it been altered?' However, in today's world, there are such manufactured realities that we know the visuals also need to be verified. This makes public responsibility for media and communication professionals even more indispensable. I am talking about the realities generated by artificial intelligence. This, of course, also reminds us how responsible and careful we must be in our pursuit of truth and reality."
After his speech, Head of Communications Duran visited the exhibition and viewed the photographs.
"I have seen very important frames reflecting the states of humanity from all corners of the world”
In a statement to Anadolu Agency (AA) reporters, Head of Communications Duran thanked the Agency for organising the ‘Istanbul Photo Awards’ since 2015.
Stating that the photographs capture moments of reality, Head of Communications Duran said, ‘Today, I have seen very important frames reflecting the states of humanity from all corners of the world. The photograph that won first prize clearly portrays the devastating loss of a child suffered by a Palestinian mother and father in Gaza and stands as evidence of Israel’s genocide. In fact, on one hand, our country is overwhelmed with sorrow, while on the other hand, we feel anger towards those committing the genocide. From this perspective, I believe that the striking aspect of the photograph is extremely valuable.”
Head of Communications, Duran, added that AA has made a very important contribution by providing a platform for the efforts of professionals from around the world, helping them showcase reality and playing a significant role in the formation of a collective memory.
