Aydın Doğan Foundation
Aydın Doğan Foundation works towards the ideal of Turkey to have a strong, modern and respected society; supports the individual to use true and unbiased information to facilitate democracy and solve people’s problems. To that end, the Foundation organizes and supports activities in different fields.
Education
Aware of the fact that the young and growing population of Turkey annually requires more investment in education, far exceeding the funds allocated from the national budget, Aydın Doğan Foundation has decided to give priority to education because it believes opportunities provided to young people determine the future of a country.
Aydın Doğan
President
Among the priorities of the Foundation is to provide a productive, lasting and solid basis for education, especially vocational education. Educational building projects carried out to date by the Foundation are presented below:
Schools
- Kelkit Aydın Doğan Vocational School, Gümüşhane
- Sema Işıl Doğan Elementary School, Gümüşhane
- Atatürk University Aydın Doğan Elementary School, Erzurum
- Aydın Doğan Elementary School, İstanbul
- Yaşar-İrfani Doğan Industrial Vocational High School, Gümüşhane
- Milliyet Anatolia Teachers High School, Erzincan
- Hürriyet Anatolia Vocational Highschool for Hoteliers, Erzincan
- Aydın Doğan Science and Arts Center, Afyon
- Aydın Doğan Anatolian Vocational High School, İstanbul
- Galatasaray University Aydın Doğan Auditorium, İstanbul
Dormitories
- Aydın Doğan Dormitory for Girls, Kürtün
- Aydın Doğan Dormitory for Girls, Köse
- Hacı Hüsrev Doğan Dormitory for Girls, Kelkit
- Erzincan University Aydın Doğan Dormitory for Girls, Erzincan
- Nene Hatun High School for Girls Aydın Doğan Dormitory, Erzurum
- Aydın Doğan Dormitory for Girls, Şiran
As a member of the European Foundation Center (EFC), Aydın Doğan Foundation has also contributed to the establishment of a Contemporary Turkish Studies Chair at the European Institute of the London School of Economics (LSE); and has been donating for educational activities of the International Press Institute (IPI) organizing training programs for young journalists in Turkey.
Awards and Competitions
Turkey enjoys a very colorful cultural mosaic that has been developed through thousands of years of history. The primary focus of our Foundation’s activities in the fields of culture and the arts is to protect, develop and integrate the richness of Turkish culture with the international world.
Aydın Doğan
President
Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition
Believing that freedom of speech is only possible when people can effectively share their knowledge and ideas and it is everyone’s duty to spread tolerance, Aydın Doğan Foundation has been organizing the biggest cartoon competition of the world.
In 2008, the Foundation celebrated the 25th Anniversary of Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition, which attracted 2665 cartoons of 971 artists from 79 countries. The first prize was awarded to Ahmet Öztürklevent from Turkey, the second was to Agim Sulaj from Albania and third prize went to Gerhard Gepp from Austria.
A selection of the cartoons competing in this contest is presented to the public, especially to university students, all around Turkey and abroad. The Foundation’s exhibits in Moldova, China, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Japan, Greece, Romania, Pakistan, the USA and Belgium attracted great interest.
In 2008 cartoons under the theme of “peace” were exhibited in the main gallery of the United Nations building in New York and drew much attention.
- Please, pay a visit to the Virtual Museum of Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition.
Young Communicators’ Award
Aydın Doğan Awards
Aydın Doğan Foundation has been extending annual awards in the fields of art, culture, and the humanities to the distinguished persons who made important contributions to their country and the world with their creative work. With this award, the Foundation aims to give support to these people’s projects and encourage other imaginative people.
Organized for the 14th time in 2010, the Aydın Doğan Award set its theme for the year as "cinema" and the director, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, was honored with this prestigious award.
Aydın Doğan Award winners to date are presented below:
- Genco Erkal - Theatre - 2009
- Seyhan Topuz - Sculpture - 2008
- Özlem Süer and Ümit Ünal - Fashion Design - 2007
- Adnan Varınca - Painting - 2006
- İzmir Konak Square Project and Kastamonu Historic City Improvement Project – City Architecture/City Texture - 2005
- Yücel Paşmakçı - Turkish Folk Music - 2004
- Ord. Prof. Dr. Sedat Alp and Prof. Dr. Altan Çilingiroğlu - Archeology - 2003
- Ankara State Conservatory - Classical Music - 2002
- İlber Oltaylı - History 2001
- Melih Cevdet Anday - Poetry - 2000
- Ara Güler - Visual Arts - 1999
- Prof. Dr. Doğan Kuban and Prof. Dr. Emre Kongar - Social Sciences and Humanities -1998
- Adalet Ağaoğlu - Novel - 1997
Social and Cultural Activities
Organic Farming Project
Believing social advancement is most effective when the public sector, the private sector and NGO's cooperate their efforts, the Aydın Doğan Foundation developed a partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Doğan Organic Cattle Farming Enterprise, Atatürk University, Ministry of Agriculture, Governorship of Gümüşhane and Kelkit Subgovernor’s Office. These entities together aim to increase farming revenues through organic farming and husbandry in Kelkit, Gümüşhane and thus to contribute to the economic development of the region.
Sema Doğan Park
Sema Doğan Park was built in Gümüşhane in order to promote the social change and cultural richness of the region with its three-hundred-seat multipurpose hall, five-hundred-seat open-air theater, sports fields, workshops and walkways.
I am proud that in addition to sports halls for the young, this facility has got three handicraft ateliers for women and young girls, whom I deem very important.
Sema Doğan
Vice President
Food Service Facility
Kalender Metin Doğan Food Service Facility in Kelkit offers housing and meals for 150 girl students, and serves free lunch and dinner to 250 citizens in need.
Other Areas
Aydın Doğan Geriactrics Clinic in Ankara was founded in 1993 at Ankara University Medical School, Department of Internal Medicine.
Aydın Doğan Sports Facility in Gümüşhane was contructed and donated to the then Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Aydın Doğan Culture and Art Gallery in Ankara hosts oil, watercolor, etchings, ceramics, sculpture and photography exhibits. Art lessons are offered twice a week.
In November 2008, Aydın Doğan Foundation opened Sema and Aydın Doğan Education Park in cooperation with Educational Volunteers Foundation (TEGV). The spacious Park offers technological and cultural facilities to deliver multi-dimensional educational support for children. Aydın Doğan Foundation will be financing all the expenses of the Park for ten years.