The renowned poet and author Ataol Behramoğlu received the 16 th Contemporary Living Republic Award for his
contributions to culture, education, and the development of contemporary social life in our country.
The Association for Supporting Contemporary Living (ÇYDD) has been presenting the Contemporary Living
Republic Award each year since 2007. The award is given on the anniversary of the TBMM (The Grand National
Assembly of Turkey) meeting of April 10, 1928, when the clause ‘’the religion of the Turkish State is Islam’’ of
Article 2 and the sentence ‘’the dictates of the sharia law will be administered by the TBMM’’ of Article 26 th were removed from the country’s Constitution as steps towards establishing secularism in the country.
The individual that will receive the Republic Award is decided by the votes of ÇYDD members, volunteers and
youth from among the names put forward by the Head Quarters Executive Committee.
The previous recipients of the award are Muazzez İlmiye Çığ, Fazıl Say, Sabih Kanadoğlu, Rıza Türmen, Yıldız
Kenter, Genco Erkal, Gülriz Sururi, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Büyükerşen, Prof. Dr. Fatih Hilmioğlu, Prof. Dr. Nermin
Abadan Unat, Prof. Dr. Doğan Kuban, Prof. Dr. Ümit Kocasakal, Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı, Müjdat Gezen, Prof. Dr.
Yücel Aşkın, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Haberal, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yurtkuran, Prof. Dr. Ferit Bernay and Prof. Dr. Emre
Kongar.
This year’s ceremony was presented on April 10, 2022, Secularism Day, via Zoom due to the restrictions of the
Covid-19 pandemic.
During the award ceremony, there was a live broadcast of Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory
Music and Ballet Middle School Choir with a contribution from Sevda - Cenap And Music Foundation; Choir
Director Atilla Çağdaş Değer, Pianists İrem Alpaslan, Polat Cansızoğlu and Tuna Karakaya.
The ÇYDD Bahçeşehir Branch Youth Unit Facilitator Eren Burul presented the broadcast. The broadcast started
at 20:00 hours on April 10, 2022, Sunday.
PROGRAM
Opening Address / Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel, ÇYDD President
April 10 Secularism Day, ÇYDD Republic Awards / Adv. Sedat Durna, ÇYDD Vice President
Award Ceremony and Speech / Ataol Behramoğlu
Concert / With a contribution from Sevda - Cenap And Music Foundation, Hacettepe
University Ankara State Conservatory Music and Ballet Middle School Choir – Choir
Director Atilla Çağdaş Değer, Pianists İrem Alpaslan, Polat Cansızoğlu and Tuna Karakaya
Presenter / Eren Burul, ÇYDD Bahçeşehir Branch Youth Unit Facilitator
Çağdaş Yaşam TV:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCCeb-4xyUb7MpS0jCU0ANA