Erol Önderoğlu Receives SEEMO Award For Better Understanding in South East Europe

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bianet rapporteur and Reporters without Borders (RSF) Turkey representative Erol Önderoğlu has received the Dr. Erhard Busek - SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South East and Central Europe.

The Erhard Busek SEEMO award for Better Understanding in SEE for 2016. is journalist Erol Onderoglu! @ErolOnderoglu #SEEMF2016

— SEEMF (@SEEMF_MEDIA) November 23, 2016

The SEEMO Award was handed over to Erol Önderoğlu; rapporteur of BİA Media Monitoring Reports and RSF Representative in Turkey in Serbian capital city of Belgrad.

Speaking at the award ceremony held on November 23, Dr. Erhard Busek said "Erol is a very precious person who has been reporting violations of press freedom for over 20 years in Turkey objectively while performing journalism in compliance with global standards".
Dedicated to arrested journalists

Talking to bianet, Erol Önderoğlu said that he dedicated the award to all arrested jounalists.

"We can see that it is not easy at all to protect ethical and free journalism and its principles from the wrath of the government due to political and judicial oppressions. We make this effort together with our comrades, regardless they are employed or unemployed, who find the power to resist, either in their workplaces, on the street or in prison.

"I dedicate this award honouring me, to all my resisting colleagues and Kadri Gürsel, who, after demonstrating for my release before the Metris Prison, got arrested himself".

SEEMO Award

The Dr. Erhard Busek - SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South, Eastern and Central Europe honours journalists, editors, media executives, media experts, professors, writers and journalism trainers in South East Europe who have contributed to promoting better understanding in the region and who have worked towards ending minority-related problems, ethnic divisions, racism, xenophobia, gender discrimination, homophobia etc.

The award is sponsored by Erhard Busek, who is also former vice-chancellor of Austria, Jean Monet Professor ad personam, president of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, coordinator of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI), and former special coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe.

About Erol Önderoğlu

Born in Erzincan in 1969, Önderoğlu graduated from İstanbul University, Department of French Philology. He works as international Reporters Without Borders (RSF) representative since 1996. He works as Legal Support Desk coordinator, freedom of expression editor and editorial director at bianet news site, which is the project of IPS Communication Foundation since 2000. He is still preparing the Media Monitoring Reports in bianet.

Önderoğlu is member of International Freedom of Expression Network IFEX Council on behalf of the IPS Communication Foundation/bianet.

He shared the Journalists Association of Turkey 2014 Press Freedom Prize with Tuğrul Eryılmaz. He earned the prize due to his works he carried out in Turkey and abroad for monitoring and reporting of the right violations as to freedom of expression.
(EA/DG)