Turkish writer awarded in Greece
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
 

ISTANBUL – Turkish Daily News


 The 2006 “Balkanika” prize was awarded late Sunday night to Turkish writer Tahsin Yücel for his work “Gökdelen” (Skyscraper) during celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the “Balkanika” international foundation in Sofia, the Athens news agency reported Monday.  

  Yücel is one of the most famous contemporary Turkish writers and most prominent translators of science fiction books. He has been teaching at the University of Istanbul for many years.

 The other candidates for the prize were Iliet Halitzka from Albania, Emil Antreef from Bulgaria, Helen Houzouri from Greece, Alexander Prokopiev from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Balendin Taskou from Romania and Gordana Tsiarints from Serbia.

 The “Balkanika” foundation was established in Ohrid by intellectuals from seven different Balkan countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, FYROM, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.

 The chairman of the foundation, Nikolai Stoyanov, said that the foundation never stopped operating, even during the crisis in Yugoslavia and the clashes in Kosovo and FYROM.