London’s position as a meeting point for diplomacy, media and diaspora communities was underlined on 1 October 2026, as the International Media and Friendship Awards gathered journalists, ambassadors, local representatives and invited guests in the capital.
Organised by the Global Journalism Council and led in the United Kingdom by Vatan Öz, the annual event followed last year’s edition in New York and placed international media solidarity at the centre of the evening.
At a glance
- The International Media and Friendship Awards were held in London on 1 October 2026 by the Global Journalism Council and its UK representative Vatan Öz.
- The programme opened with an archival exhibition at Arundel House exploring Turkish-British relations through documents, headlines and diplomatic correspondence.
- Pentex’s Special Diaspora Award was presented to Vatan Öz, with awards also recognising journalists, diaspora media figures and institutional supporters.
London hosts a media gathering with diplomatic weight
The Global Journalism Council brings together a broad international network, with representatives in 88 countries and across all 81 provinces of Türkiye.
For its London edition, the organisation drew a guest list that reflected the city’s role in global media and diplomacy, including Türkiye’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom Osman Koray Ertaş and Türkiye’s Consul General in London, Associate Professor Dr Hasan Ulusoy.
The ceremony opened with a minute’s silence in memory of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, journalists who lost their lives while on duty and those who died serving their country, followed by the Turkish national anthem.
Vatan Öz, the GJC’s United Kingdom representative and owner of Avrupa Media Group, used his opening remarks to frame the evening around journalism, work and friendship across cultures.
GJC President Mehmet Ali Dim highlighted the importance of international media solidarity and thanked the event’s supporting institutions and sponsors, including Pentex Ltd, Konya Metropolitan Municipality, Keçiören Municipality, Sarıçam Municipality, ALTAV, ALTİD, Eftelia Hotels, EsteWorld UK London, MUSIAD UK and several London hospitality groups.
An archival exhibition on Turkish-British relations
Before the awards, guests visited an exhibition titled “Turkish-British Relations: From Documents to Life” at Arundel House.
The exhibition drew on the archive of collector Prof. Dr Osman Kubilay Gül and presented newspaper headlines, diplomatic correspondence and historical documents tracing the relationship between Türkiye and Britain.
Curated by Dr Özgenur Reyhan Güler, the display gave the evening a cultural and historical frame rather than limiting it to a formal prize ceremony.
Its presence also sharpened the event’s wider message, linking contemporary media networks with the long record of diplomatic and public exchange between the two countries.
Awards across journalism, diaspora media and friendship
The awards were presented across several sections, including Journalism Awards, Diaspora Media Awards, Recognition Awards, Global Awards, Friendship Awards and Certificates of Appreciation.
Pentex’s Special Diaspora Award was presented to Vatan Öz, recognising his role in the UK-based Turkish media landscape and his work on the London edition of the event.
The Journalism Awards recognised a wide field of media professionals, including Behlül Çetinkaya of Anadolu Agency, Ayten Abbaslı of Azerbaijan State News Agency AZERTAC, Hürriyet columnist Arda Sayıner, Janos Oliver of Luxury Report Magazine, Deborah Field of Hello UK Magazine and Olga Ivshina of the BBC London Russian Service.
Other Journalism Award recipients included Yunus Dalgıç of İhlas News Agency, Sevgin Alişoğlu of Kanal D’s London Aktüel programme, Duygu Tağmaç of Cyprus Genç TV and Palestinian journalist Ahmet Elnaoq.
The Diaspora Media Awards went to Yeşim Özyiğit of Londra Gazetesi, Vatan Öz of Avrupa Gazetesi and AVA European News Agency, and Mohamed Ali Harrath of Islam Channel London.
Vatan Öz’s award was presented by veteran journalist Yavuz Donat.
Recognition Awards honoured Mert Ahmet, producer of the documentaries The Hidden Story of Sport in the TRNC and A Turkish Cypriot Story, Azim Köse, director of Turks in Britain, and Seda Aslan Yılmaz, director of Timeless PR & Digital Marketing.
Deborah Bonetti, Director of the Foreign Press Association in the UK, received a Friendship Award, presented by Vatan Öz in his capacity as GJC Deputy President for Foreign Media.
Certificates recognise civic and community support
The evening also acknowledged institutions and individuals who supported the organisation through Certificates of Appreciation.
Recipients included Osman Koray Ertaş, Ambassador of Türkiye to the United Kingdom, Aysan Mullahasan Atılgan, Ambassador of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to London, and Elin Süleymanov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to London, whose certificate was collected by First Secretary Eltay Aslanov.
Associate Professor Dr Hasan Ulusoy, Consul General of Türkiye in London, Baroness Meral Hussein Ece, and Afzal Khan, former minister and Member of Parliament for Manchester, were also recognised, with Mehmet Nezir Korkut collecting on Khan’s behalf.
Additional certificates went to Türkan Akbaş of MUSIAD UK, Aygül Peker of EsteWorld UK London, Enes Şanlı of Lux&Lush and İrfan Davulcular of the Turkish Community Football Federation.
The ceremony closed with a group photograph and final remarks, bringing together award recipients, presenters and guests after a programme shaped as much by cultural memory as by media recognition.
For London’s Turkish, Azerbaijani, Cypriot and wider international media circles, the event offered a clear reminder that journalism still carries its greatest influence when it builds links beyond borders.
