“I warmly congratulate the President on this award which recognizes his accomplishments and acknowledges the growing influence he has achieved for Turkey,” DeAnne Julius said in a statement.
Gul will be invited to collect the award and a scroll signed by Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony in London later this year. The other nominees for this year’s prize were French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde and Croatian President Stjepan Mesic.
Robin Niblett, Director of Chatham House, said “Chatham House members have a deep interest in international affairs and have voted for President Gul to acknowledge his efforts within Turkey as well as on the international stage. Our members represent a cross-section of the most influential globally orientated individuals in business, academia and public life.”
Suzan Sabancı Dincer, a member of Chatham House Panel of Senior Advisers, and Chairman and Executive Board Member of Akbank, said that she was proud and delighted that President Gul is to receive this prestigious award.
“His efforts to bring stability and prosperity to Turkey’s region and his encouragement of Turkey’s rapid progress towards reform and full European integration have been acknowledged by Chatham House members,” she said.
The Chatham House Prize is an annual award presented to the statesperson deemed by members of the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House to have made the most significant contribution to the improvement of international relations in the previous year. (TÇ-CE)
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President Abdullah Gül Voted Winner of the Chatham House Prize 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 13.30 HRS FRIDAY 19 MARCH
Abdullah Gül, President of Turkey, has been voted the winner of
the Chatham House Prize 2010. This annual award is presented to
the statesperson deemed by members of the Royal Institute of
International Affairs at Chatham House to have made the most
significant contribution to the improvement of international
relations in the previous year.
President Gül is recognized for being a significant figure for
reconciliation and moderation within Turkey and internationally,
and a driving force behind many of the positive steps that Turkey
has taken in recent years.
Mr Gül has worked to deepen Turkey’s traditional ties with
the Middle East, mediate between the fractious groups in Iraq
and bring together the Afghan and Pakistani leaderships to try to
resolve disputes during 2009. He has also made significant efforts
to reunify the divided island of Cyprus and has played a leading
role, along with his Armenian counterpart, in initiating a process
of reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia.
President Gül is also recognized for being an unwavering
proponent of anchoring Turkey in the European Union. Under
his leadership, Turkey is consolidating civilian democratic rule
and undergoing extensive political and legal reforms to bring the
country closer to European standards of democracy and human rights.
President Gül will be invited to collect the award and a scroll
signed by our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen, at a ceremony in
London later this year.
Dr DeAnne Julius, Chairman of Chatham House, said:
‘President Gül has been voted the winner of this year’s Chatham
House Prize because of his qualities as a national, regional and
international leader. I warmly congratulate the President on this
award which recognizes his accomplishments and acknowledges the
growing influence he has achieved for Turkey.’
Dr Robin Niblett, Director of Chatham House, said: ‘Chatham
House members have a deep interest in international affairs and
have voted for President Gül to acknowledge his efforts within
Turkey as well as on the international stage. Our members
represent a cross-section of globally orientated individuals in
business, academia and public life.’
Suzan Sabanci Dinçer, Panel of Senior Advisers, Chatham House,
and Chairman and Executive Board Member, Akbank, said: ‘As a
Chatham House Senior Adviser and a Turkish citizen I am proud and
delighted that President Gül is to receive this prestigious award.
His efforts to bring stability and prosperity to Turkey’s region
and his encouragement of Turkey’s rapid progress towards reform
and full European integration have been acknowledged by Chatham
House members.’
About the Chatham House Prize
The process to select the nominees of the Prize draws on the
recommendations of our research teams and the advice of our three
Presidents. Chatham House members then vote for the winner in a ballot.
The winner is presented with a crystal award and a scroll signed
by our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen. The other nominees for the
2010 Prize were Christine Lagarde, Finance Minister, France and
Stjepan Mesic, President of Croatia (2000-10).
Previous Winners of the Chatham House Prize
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil won the Prize in
2009; President John Kufuor of Ghana was the 2008 winner; HH
Sheikha Mozah, Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation for Education,
Science and Community Development, was the 2007 winner; Joaquim
Chissano, President of Mozambique (1986-2005), was the 2006
winner; and President Victor Yushchenko of Ukraine was awarded the
inaugural Prize in 2005.
About the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham
House)
Chatham House is both the name of the building in London in which
the institute is based and the name by which the Royal Institute
of International Affairs is widely known. Our mission is to be a
world-leading source of independent analysis, informed debate and
influential ideas on how to build a prosperous and secure world
for all.
Chatham House Presidents
Chatham House is politically independent and has Presidents
and Council Members from each of the three major UK political
parties. Our Presidents are: Lord Ashdown, (High Representative of
the International Community and EU Special Representative in
Bosnia and Herzegovina between 2002-06); Sir John Major, (UK
Prime Minister 1990-97); and Lord Robertson (Secretary General,
NATO, 1999-2003).
Contacts
Dates for the award ceremony will be released in a separate
press announcement when the details are confirmed. The award ceremony
will take place in London and will be open to the media.
Nicola Norton, Media Relations Manager
Direct: +44 (0)20 7957 5739
Mobile: +44 (0)7917 757 528
[email protected]
Sara Karnas, Communications Administrator
Direct: +44 (0)20 7314 2787
Mobile: +44 (0)7958 669 785
[email protected]
Keith Burnet, Communications Director
Direct: +44 (0)20 7314 2798
Mobile: +44 (0)7714 200 920
[email protected]
ENDS
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