The United Nations (UN) awarded Turkish peace and human rights activist and caricaturist Firuz Kutal with the "Political Caricature" price for his work entitled "Peace Doves". Kutal lives in Norway and criticized the United States of America with his caricature at the time when the USA invaded Iraq despite wide-spread anti-war demonstrations and claimed to "bring peace and democracy".
Drawings for peace and freedom
The "Citation for Excellence" is the reward of the United Nations Society Writers and Artists Ranan Lurie Political Cartoon Contest. Kutal's 'peace doves' have previously been exhibited in the Berlin underground railway and as part of the campaign "No to War in Iraq" organized by the Global Peace and Justice Coalition in Turkey.
Moreover, Kutal's political cartoons have been published in Gelecek magazine, Turnusol.org and Birgün newspaper.
Kutal contributed to the election campaigns of Ufuk Uras (Freedom and Solidarity Party) and Baskın Oran also commemorated assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in his caricatures. The artist furthermore illustrated the book "We Are Graffiti" written by Gülay Kutal. (BÇ/VK)