The International Hrant Dink Award put ecological defence at the centre of Turkey’s civic calendar on 15 September 2026, naming environmental advocate Süheyla Doğan of Turkey and Palestinian human-rights lawyer Raji Sourani as the laureates of its eighteenth edition.
The ceremony at Istanbul’s Harbiye Muhsin Ertuğrul Stage — narrated by Şebnem Hassanisoughi, with Hrant Dink Foundation Chair Rakel Dink delivering the welcome message — comes at a moment when reporters who investigate mines, forests and urban land deals in Turkey describe systemic legal and professional barriers.
FAKTA
- The 18th International Hrant Dink Award ceremony took place on Tuesday, 15 September 2026 at the Harbiye Muhsin Ertuğrul Stage in Istanbul.
- Süheyla Doğan (Turkey) was honoured for defending the Kazdağları (Mount Ida) region and its natural and cultural resources, advancing women’s human rights, challenging state-sponsored ecocide projects, and promoting the right to coexist with nature.
- Raji Sourani (Palestine) was honoured for his continuous human-rights legal work under conditions that render documenting violations and pursuing accountability nearly impossible.
- Doğan is an environmental and life advocate, not a newsroom journalist; the journalism angle is contextual, as the award elevates ecological conflict into mainstream coverage.
- The Hrant Dink Award was established in 2009 and is presented annually to people working for human rights, equality, justice and peace.
Hrant Dink Award centres land and ecology
The Hrant Dink Foundation cited Doğan for “refusing to give up defending the Kazdağları region and all its natural and cultural resources” — a landscape at the heart of long-running disputes over mining and development in northwestern Turkey. She was also recognised for striving to improve women’s human rights, vocally challenging state-backed ecocide projects, and championing the right to live in harmony with nature.
Sourani’s citation recognises decades of legal work representing Palestinian civilians, including his persistence in documenting violations in Gaza under extreme conditions, and his role in the legal team behind South Africa’s genocide case against Israel before the International Court of Justice in January 2024.
Hard realities for environmental reporters
The award’s ecological spotlight contrasts with the environment in which Turkish environmental journalism operates. The same week, European press-freedom documentation again underlined how costly — and legally fraught — environmental and urban reporting can be for Turkish journalists, who face lawsuits, access barriers and physical risk when investigating extractive industries, forest concessions and urban land deals.
Rakel Dink’s welcome message set the tone for the evening: “No matter how hopeless, exhausting or disheartening it may sometimes feel, we will continue to say: peace, peace, peace.” The full story is also available on Watan News International’s main site.
