|
In the well-attended ceremonies, everyone was given an olive branch. Foundation members on duty and members of the jury pinned red carnations, which represented Hazrat Ali, on their collars. The jury was composed of Dr. Agah Oktay Guner, Ali Coskun, Hulya Kocyigit, Kamran Inan, Latif Erdogan, Mustafa calisan, Professor Nilufer Gole, Togay Bayatli, and Zulfu Livaneli. While it was decided to give 14 people awards in 10 different branches, Fethullah Gulen, honorary president and foundation board member, was given a bouquet of roses for his contributions to creating an environment of tolerance in Turkey. Fethullah Hodja, coming to the podium at the guests' insistence, stated that future should be built on love and tolerance, not hatred, malice, anger, and violence. Gulen remarked: The biographies of the award recipients were shown to the audience in a slide display.
|
