2013 \'Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards\' conferred

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has conferred 2013 'Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards' to their holders during a ceremony held at Cankaya Palace on Tuesday. Delivering a speech during the award ceremony, Gul said, "What is important here is to find faults and flaws at our homes and reveal the determination of correcting them. Realizing mistakes will make Turkey a country in which every one could easily express themselves and their ideas." Noting that art, culture and science were different fields from each other, the president also said, "If we know value of these fields, artists, culture people and scientists, this will significantly provide a great contribution into a country." Stating that the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards are conferred to put forward the appreciation feeling in these fields, Gul addressed to the award holders saying "We award these prizes for your achievements with thanking feelings." Professor Fuat Sezgin has been conferred the award due to his researches in Islam, science and technology history. Professor Daron Acemoglu received the award in Social Sciences due to his different perspective into classical growth and development theories and models. In literature, Professor Iskender Pala who significantly contributed to formation of an interest in culture history of Turkish society and adoption of Turkish literature by large masses. Another Professor Bekir Karliga was awarded in documentary as he enabled precious perspectives over agreement among civilizations and succeeded a strong visuality and rich expression in the documentary film called "The River Flowing Westward". Union Of Historical Towns also received the presidential award as an art and culture institute that performed intensive efforts in natural and cultural environmental issues, protection of cultural heritage and transmission of the heritage to the next generations. In music, the late singer Ahmet Kaya has been awarded the prize which was received by his spouse Gulten Kaya. Ahmet Kaya, a singer and songwriter of Kurdish descent who was exiled for advocating Kurdish rights, died in Paris in 2000.