Istanbul Esenyurt University’s 3rd Communication Awards Ceremony Honors Industry Leaders
Istanbul, May 8, 2026 – Istanbul Esenyurt University celebrated its 3rd Communication Awards Ceremony, an event organized by the university’s Radio and Television Programming Department and E-Publishing Club. The ceremony, held in the university’s conference hall, recognized numerous personalities from the communication and art sectors, with winners determined by student votes.
The prestigious event saw 19 awards presented across various categories. Esteemed guests from the art world, including Atilla Olgaç, Meral Çetinkaya, Grup Gündoğarken members Burhan Şeşen and Gökhan Şeşen, and Umut Oğuz, were in attendance, adding to the grandeur of the occasion.
A Tradition of Honoring Excellence and Student Choice
Pınar Öztarkan Özyurt, Head of the Visual-Audio Techniques and Media Production Department at Istanbul Esenyurt University, expressed her pride in the continuity of the event. “We are proud to host the third edition of our Communication Awards Ceremony, which has become a cherished tradition. As in previous years, we are delighted to welcome distinguished and renowned guests to our university. What makes these guests particularly special is that they are chosen by our students, based on who they most admire, watch, and vote for,” Özyurt stated.
She further emphasized the enthusiasm surrounding the event: “Our students eagerly anticipate meeting these figures months in advance. Sharing in this excitement is incredibly rewarding for us. Organizing the ceremony itself is both thrilling and a source of immense joy. It’s hard to describe; however, sharing our students’ excitement, being a part of their special day, and being able to organize such an event for them makes us happy and proud. We hope to continue this journey with the same enthusiasm in many more award ceremonies.”
Journalists and Artists Share Their Perspectives
İbrahim Konar, Kanal D News Reporter, who received the ‘Best News Reporter of the Year’ award, shared his sentiments: “Receiving an award at such significant university ceremonies is a great honor. These events motivate us in our profession, crown our efforts, and bring us immense pride. I visited Istanbul Esenyurt University two years ago for a discussion on earthquakes. It is a unique institution that closely follows current events, discusses developments and issues with a scientific perspective, and connects students with industry professionals.”
Konar also highlighted the university’s positive impact on the local community: “This award ceremony was also very beautiful and enjoyable, with many experts and respected figures from various fields present. As journalists, we often come to Esenyurt to cover developments. With the positive contributions of the university, I hope that negative and criminal incidents will soon be a thing of the past. Esenyurt has a very different face, and I wish its positive developments were more widely broadcast. I hope that with Istanbul Esenyurt University, a stronger collaboration will be formed to reach wider audiences with the beauty of the district. Receiving an award alongside so many respected individuals from the art, society, science, and politics worlds at such an important ceremony is truly valuable to me. Having my work as a news reporter recognized in this way makes me proud. I hope to continue this journey by doing better work and delivering higher quality news.”
Yasemin Akıncılar Minguzzi, honored with the ‘Mother of the Year’ award, expressed her delight: “I am very happy they invited us. From the very beginning, we have been striving to support children and young people. This makes us even happier. I thank them very much. The award ceremony will, of course, be very exciting. All our struggle is for the youth; everything is for them.”
Ayşenur Afyon, recognized as the ‘Best Social Media Manager of the Year’, spoke about the impact of social media: “Today, my sister and I are here at the Communication Awards ceremony. This is very precious to us. First, we thank Esenyurt University, its students, and its Rector. The reason for our presence here is to explain the process through which we made our voices heard in Turkey after a tragic event, to help people understand it, and to contribute to its public recognition. Afterward, we believe we created a significant impact by supporting victim families through social media. We believe we were able to raise awareness. This is very valuable to us. We are fighting for our own children and all the youth of Turkey, especially Ahmet. We thank everyone who sees and appreciates the value of this and who is always by our side.”
Umut Oğuz, the ‘Best Male Actor of the Year’, emphasized his connection with the youth: “For a long time, I have been receiving my awards from young people. Everywhere I go, I try to communicate with children and young people. I am someone who loves to share my experiences. Last semester, I also taught at the university and received very positive feedback. This was very important to me. They told me, ‘Teacher, we loved your class; you taught us so much about life.’ In fact, I learned a lot from them. Our generation misses an important point: when you cut off communication with young people and children, your connection to life also seriously breaks. I actually come to refresh that bond. I try to make young people laugh and chat with them.”
Esra Sönmezler, attending as the ‘Best Talk Show Host of the Year’, remarked: “It is truly an honor to receive appreciation from any institution or person, regardless of age. It is a great honor for me to receive this award from a beautiful university, from valuable students, academics, and Rectors.”
İpek Karapınar, named ‘Best Female Actor of the Year’, conveyed her excitement: “I am very excited. From the moment I heard the news until I arrived here, I can say I couldn’t sit still for days. It is a great pleasure and honor for me to be deemed worthy of this award by esteemed teachers and students. Thank them very much.”
Award Recipients: A Diverse Group of Talents
The award recipients and institutions are as follows:
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Meral Çetinkaya
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Atilla Olgaç
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Grup Gündoğarken (Burhan Şeşen – Gökhan Şeşen)
- Loyalty Award: İlhan Şeşen
- Best Singer of the Year: Kibariye
- Best Digital Content Producer of the Year: Oğuzhan Uğur
- Best Female Actor of the Year: İpek Karapınar
- Best Male Actor of the Year: Umut Oğuz
- Best Social Media Manager of the Year: Ayşenur Afyon
- Best Talk Show Host of the Year: Esra Sönmezer
- Best Stand-Up Program of the Year: Yusuf Yusuf Show – Yusuf Öztürk
- Best Program of the Year: Gürkan Hacır – Taksim Meydanı
- Best Composer of the Year: Oğulcan Yüksek
- Best Breakthrough Female Musician of the Year: Arya Aryay
- Best Breakthrough Male Musician of the Year: Ege Çalışkan
- Best News Channel of the Year: TV100
- Best News Anchor of the Year: Yaprak Hırka Yıldız
- Best News Reporter of the Year: İbrahim Konar
- Mother of the Year: Yasemin Akıncılar Minguzzi
The ceremony underscored Istanbul Esenyurt University’s commitment to fostering talent and recognizing excellence within the communication and art industries, as determined by the discerning votes of its student body.
Source: https://www.dha.com.tr/yerel-haberler/istanbul/istanbul-esenyurt-universitesi-3uncu-iletisim-2868800
