Chughtai Art Awards Ceremony held in Bursa

BURSA, 7 May 2017: High school students in Bursa enthusiastically participated in the Chughtai Art competition, organized by the Pakistan Embassy in Ankara in collaboration with Turkey’s Ministry of National Education. The thematic focus of the competition this year was, “Turkish Heritage in Pakistan.” The awards ceremony, held in the picturesque lawn of Bursa’s Department of Culture and Tourism, was attended by the Governor of Bursa, Acting Mayor of Bursa, Pakistan’s Honorary Consul General, and other Turkish dignitaries, besides a large number of students, teachers, and families. 

Consistent with the theme, a total of 41 paintings were shortlisted for consideration by a panel of judges, and nine paintings were finally selected for prizes in three categories. The painting by Mr. Eren Uysal of Nilüfer Zeki Müren Fine Arts School won the first prize, while those by Ms. Ayşe Betül Mustafaoğlu and Ms. Zeynep Naz Karagöz of the same school received second and third prizes, respectively. 

Speaking at the Awards Ceremony, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey Sohail Mahmood appreciated the talent, hard work and deep thinking of the participants of the Chughtai Art competition, and congratulated the students who won prizes and Certificates of Distinction.  He informed that this was the 6^th Edition of the annual painting competition in Turkey, named after Pakistan’s outstanding painter Abdul Rehman Chughtai -- a world-renowned miniaturist.  The Ambassador underscored that through such events and activities, the younger generation would be better acquainted with the illustrious tradition of close Pakistan-Turkey relations -- based on common faith, cultural and linguistic affinities, and shared history -- and of both nations always standing by each other.

Ambassador Sohail Mahmood also underlined that 2017 marked the “70^th year of Pakistan-Turkey Diplomatic Relations.” He hoped that more cultural events could be organized in Bursa to celebrate this milestone in a befitting manner. Thanking Honorary Consul General of Pakistan in Bursa Murat Tarman, Ambassador Sohail said that since Mr. Tarman’s appointment, Pakistan-Bursa cooperation in diverse fields had gone up significantly.

Governor Bursa İzzettin Küçük emphasized that the brotherly relations between Pakistan and Turkey went back centuries and added that the Turkish people would never forget the help of the people of Pakistan for the Turkish War of Independence. He noted that the flags of the two countries were similar, both having crescent and star. He deeply appreciated Bursa students’ participation in the competition saying that such initiatives educated the younger generation about our centuries-old brotherhood. 

Honorary Consul General Murat Tarman said he would be honoured to play a role in further promoting business ties between Pakistan and Bursa. He expressed keen desire to help organize more cultural events as well.

During his visit to Bursa, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood also separately called on Governor İzzettin Küçük and Acting Mayor Abdülkadir Karlik. Views were exchanged on further intensifying the trade, commercial, investment, educational and cultural cooperation between Bursa and Pakistan.