At its 60th National Psychiatry Congress, held on Oct. 30 in Ankara, the Turkish Psychiatric Association (TPD) presented awards in three categories: “solidarity,” “institutional support,” and “media.”
The Occupational Health and Safety Assembly received the solidarity award for its work in compiling data on “worker deaths.”
In the media category, the best interview award went to Özgür Gökmen Çelenk of 10 Haber for his piece titled *“A Psychiatrist and a Lawyer Explain: Could the Sur Murder Have Been Prevented?”* Melike Şahin from NTV was recognized with the best video report award for her story “Expert Answer: Is Every Perpetrator of Violence a Psychiatric Patient?”
bianet editor Evrim Kepenek was also honored for her work on the bianet Male Violence Monitoring Reports and her reporting on women’s issues.
bianet is Monitoring Male Violence
The congress, themed “Protecting Mental and Life Health in the Light of Peace and Science,” held its opening ceremony at a hotel in Antalya. Over the next four days, the congress will include special sessions on the topic of violence.
‘I dedicate this award to children and women’
In her acceptance speech, Kepenek commemorated doctors killed on the job and pointed out that male violence is often dismissed by politicians and media as “isolated incidents.” She highlighted that Bianet’s rights-focused reporting demonstrates that male violence is a systemic issue.
“Every award is meaningful, but this one is especially significant to me because it was given by people who support peace, equality, and human rights. I dedicate this award to all the children across Turkey who have been abducted, killed, or remain missing—like Narin Güran, whose body was found near a river—and to all women in this country who have managed to survive under difficult conditions, whether at home, on the street, or in every area of life,” Kepenek said.
