The Architect Kerem Türker Foundation gives the Lale Dikmen Türker award to the institutions that spearhead work on gender equality and women’s rights. The Association For Supporting Contemporary Living was deemed worthy of the award this year.

The award ceremony took place at Erimtan Archeology and Art Museum in Ankara. ÇYDD President Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel, ÇYDD Ankara Branch, ÇYDD Çankaya Branch and ÇYDD Ümitköy - Çayyolu Branch administrators, members, and volunteers were present.

The award jury was comprised of Prof. Dr. Feride Acar, Prof. Dr. Olcay İmamoğlu, Ambassador Sumru Noyan, Turkey Pen President journalist writer Zeynep Oral and representing the Architect Kerem Türker Foundation, Executive Committee President Engin Türker. Their statement on why ÇYDD was to be the recipient of the Lale Dikmen Türker Award this year was: ‘’Prof. Dr. Türkân Saylan whom we always memorialize with deep respect, love, and gratitude, founded the ÇYDD that has carried out its endeavors for years against all odds to attain gender equality for girls in education.’’

Ambassador Türker presented the award to the ÇYDD President Prof. Dr. Yüksel who expressed her feelings of pride and honor for ÇYDD being the recipient of the Lale Dikmen Türker Award. She said, ‘’Following in the footsteps of our unforgettable president Prof. Dr. Türkân Saylan, our association continues to work for educating girls and bringing gender equality in education with inspiration from the Atatürk reforms and principles. We aim to reach the contemporary person and the contemporary society. Receiving such an important and meaningful award is very valuable for us.’’

Prof. Dr. Yüksel mentioned Eşitlik İçin Kadın Platformu -EŞİK (Equality Platform for Women) and Uçan Süpürge Vakfı (Flying Broom), the recipient of the award in the past years, in her speech: ‘’In solidarity, we continue our fight to achieve equality. We are building the future by ‘being a part of the solution, not the problem’ with our work for women’s rights, gender equality, and providing a contemporary education. We remember Kerem Türker and Lale Dikmen Türker with fondness and we thank the Kerem Türker Foundation for being with us on our journey towards the contemporary.’’

The Kerem Türker Foundation was founded in the name of Architect Kerem Türker who lost his life at a young age. The foundation generates environment, nature, arts, culture, science, and social projects. Creating awareness in these fields provides opportunities for the exchange of information, cooperation, and assistance. Since 2020, the foundation has been giving the Architect Kerem Türker Award in the field of architectural disciplines and the Lale Dikmen Türker Award in the field of gender equality and women’s issues. The award ceremony was concluded with a delightful performance by the Ancyra Ensemble formed by thirteen distinguished women musicians of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra and the Opera Orchestra together with concert violinist Özgür Baskın of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra.