The eagerly awaited awards have announced their winners! The detail from Guterres is the highlight of the event.

29.10.2025 20:10

President Erdoğan announced the recipients of the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award at the October 29 Reception. It was also noteworthy that Erdoğan stated the Atatürk International Peace Award would be given to UN Secretary-General Guterres.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a remarkable speech at the October 29 Reception. In his speech, Erdoğan announced the recipients of the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award.

GUTERRES DETAIL CAUGHT ATTENTION

Erdoğan announced that the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award in the field of photography was awarded to AA photographer Ali Jadallah, who is working in Gaza. It also drew attention that Erdoğan stated the Atatürk International Peace Award would be presented to UN Secretary-General Guterres.

HERE ARE THE AWARD RECIPIENTS

President Erdoğan announced the award recipients with the following statements: "In the field of science and culture, Süleyman Seyfi Öğüt. In the field of painting, Yalçın Gökçebağ. In the field of music, Yalçın Tura. In the field of archaeology, Fahri Işık. In the field of photography, we will hopefully present the awards to Ali Jadallah. I congratulate our award recipients and thank them for their valuable contributions to Turkey's culture, art, and scientific heritage.

We will present our Atatürk International Peace Award to His Excellency Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. I also convey my thanks to Mr. Guterres for his efforts to ensure peace and stability around the world. I greet you and our esteemed nation once again with affection. I wish you a happy October 29 Republic Day."

Here are the highlights from Erdoğan's speech:

"HAPPY 102ND ANNIVERSARY OF OUR REPUBLIC"

Welcome to our Presidential Complex, the home of the nation, this sacred place. I send my greetings and love to 86 million citizens through you, to the Turkish Cypriots, to members of the Turkish diaspora around the world, and to our brothers in our heartland. I congratulate all my citizens on the occasion of the October 29 Republic Day.

Happy 102nd anniversary of our Republic. I express my gratitude to all members of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, who crowned the spirit of the National Struggle by leading the national struggle, especially Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. I respectfully commemorate all the martyrs and veterans of our Independence War, who rushed from front to front in the midst of so much deprivation. I pray for God's mercy on our martyrs and veterans who fell to the ground like a rose garden, from our first incursions in Anatolia to the conquest of Istanbul, from the Cyprus Peace Operation to the July 15 epic.

"WE ARE MEMBERS OF A NATION IN LOVE WITH ITS INDEPENDENCE"

I want to express this truth once again today. We are members of a nation that has never bowed to captivity, never accepted oppression, and is in love with its independence throughout our thousands of years of history. We saw the passion of our nation for freedom most recently in the national struggle. I remember the words of Sütçü İmam, who said, "Maraş will not become a grave for us, nor will it be a rose garden for the enemy." The Turkish spirit warmed this land. Not just you, but the whole world cannot separate us from this land, as stated by Şahin Bey from Antep. On the day the occupiers landed in Izmir, Müftü Ahmet Hulusi Efendi addressed the public in front of the Ulu Mosque in Denizli, saying that we will win victory with the love of independence, love of the homeland, and the faith in our hearts. The national struggle, which rose on the shoulders of many heroes who wrote epics with their blood and lives, is a symbol of a noble and magnificent resistance.

Dear guests, let us remember how our national anthem poet, the late Mehmet Akif Ersoy, awakened the national consciousness in the sermon he delivered in Kastamonu. "They say, extend your neck, bow your head; since the offer is so heavy, no one can accept it. One inevitably struggles with their teeth and nails, defending their soul to the utmost. O Community of Muslims, what they want from us today is not a certain province or banner; it is directly our head, our neck, our life, our existence, our state, our religion, and our faith."

"THEY WALKED TO VICTORY TO PROTECT THE HONOR OF THE HOMELAND"

Let us completely abandon ambition and division, and embrace determination and unity. The Almighty is with those who step forward on the path of truth with determination and faith. O God, send us your guidance; show us the right path. With this determination, courage, and bravery, our brave soldiers on the front, our self-sacrificing mothers behind the front, our Red Crescent, and every member of our esteemed nation, regardless of age, have proudly carried the flag of independence. They have become one body to protect the honor of the homeland, to not allow disgrace to trample on the sacredness of the homeland, and have walked together to victory. The hardships endured for independence and future have heralded the birth of the Republic of Turkey, which is a new chapter in our history. We must always keep this point in mind. The Republic of Turkey is the latest link in our ancient state tradition based on the principle of continuity. Our Republic, declared 102 years ago, is the rise of national will with the principle that "Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation."

Let us not forget that the indispensable part of the Republic is democracy. The journey to crown the Republic with the republic and democracy has been interrupted during the single-party years and coup periods, but it has somehow managed to overcome these obstacles and reach today. This struggle continues with the same determination and resolve. In our quest to strengthen Turkey and Turkish democracy, the unwavering will of our nation has been our most important support for the last 23 years. As long as this will remains strong, and as long as this nation embraces each other with love as it has for thousands of years, there is no internal or external force that can obstruct Turkey's blessed journey.

"TODAY WE ARE AT A VERY DIFFERENT POINT COMPARED TO 102 YEARS AGO"

My dear friends, as a nation, we possess a very special quality that sets an example for humanity. We are a devoted nation that lives with its past, enriches the legacy it has inherited from its ancestors, and carefully guards the trust of our ancestors. We see our homeland not only as a trust from our esteemed martyrs and veterans but also as a trust from our Lord. That is precisely why we are engaged in an intense struggle to make our state everlasting and to fulfill the century-old dreams of our nation. Thank God, today we are at a very different point compared to 102 years ago. From defense industry to economy, from transportation to education, from trade to health, from foreign policy to technology, and from tourism to every field, we are in a massive mobilization of development that cannot even be compared to the past. Without paying attention to the slogan republicans who try to reduce the Republic to halls and platforms, we demonstrate that true service to the Republic will be through works and services, with the enormous investments we have brought to all 81 provinces.

"WE CONTINUE TO LAY THE MILESTONES OF THE TURKISH CENTURY"

First of all, we continue to lay the milestones of the Turkish Century, which will bring peace and stability not only to our country but to our entire civilization geography, and will allow our friends to take a deep breath. Yesterday, we inaugurated a modern facility that will be a source of pride for the Turkish Defense Industry in Kahraman Kazan.

We have delivered our main battle tank, Altay, to our armed forces. God willing, we aim to provide a total of 250 Altay tanks to our army within the next 6 years. Let us not forget during the War of Independence, with the strength we derived from the heroes who carried bullets with their blood, we are now producing our own tanks, our own warships, our own unmanned aerial vehicles, our own helicopters, and our own fighter jets. Until just 20 years ago, our defense industry was 80% dependent on foreign countries; thanks to our efforts, today it has risen to a level where it can compete with the world. When political stability and a secure environment are established, and when the steering wheel is in capable and trustworthy hands, we have shown both friends and foes what Turkey can achieve.

"WE RUSH TO THE AID OF THE OPPRESSED"

Without a doubt, the dazzling level that Turkey has reached in a short time is the level envisioned and imagined by the founders of our republic. As a nation that has carried the banner of the divine cause of the word of God for centuries and has taken on the guardianship of peace, tranquility, goodness, and justice, we continue to act with the same sensitivity today. We do not leave our friends alone in their most difficult times, no matter where they are in the world; we rush to the aid of the oppressed. From ending wars and conflicts to humanitarian crises and disaster relief efforts, we demonstrate a strong presence both in the field and at the table with our institutions and personnel.

"WE WILL MANAGE THIS SENSITIVE PROCESS WITH EASE"

In light of our 102 years of republican experience, we will, God willing, elevate all these successes to much higher levels. It is particularly beneficial to know this: It is the fundamental priority of our government not only to preserve the sacred trust of our martyrs and veterans but also to elevate that trust to much higher levels. What does the poet say? "If you squeeze the soil, the martyrs will gush forth; let my entire being be taken by God, but do not separate me from my homeland in this world." By utilizing all the resources at the disposal of our state, acting prudently against all provocations, and managing this sensitive process with ease in a manner befitting the seriousness and vast experience of our state, we will achieve our goal together by tightening our bonds more than ever, reinforcing our brotherhood, and focusing on common points rather than differences. We will continue to work to elevate our republic, which we have built together as a nation and have lived together for exactly 102 years, with 86 million hand in hand and heart to heart, God willing. I say may God be our helper and supporter.

With these thoughts, I once again respectfully commemorate Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and all the personalities of our independence struggle. I pray for the mercy of Almighty God upon all our martyrs and veterans who put their lives on the line for the survival of our state and nation, for our homeland, our call to prayer, and our flag. I extend my thanks to all of you, our esteemed guests, for honoring our program with your presence.