The Greek Turkish Forum received the inaugural Cem-Papandreou Peace Award at the ceremony held in İstanbul on April 16, 2016, in recognition for its efforts to and commitment for contributing to the establishment of the sustainable dialogue in Greek-Turkish relations. Mr. Şarık Tara and Mr. Theodore Papalexopoulus were also chosen by the award committee to receive the award in recognition of their support to improve bilateral relations between Greece and Turkey.
Several GTF members attended the ceremony, and Mr. Costa Carras and Prof. Üstün Ergüder, co-coordinators of the GTF, jointly accepted the award on behalf of the GTF.
In his award receiving speech, Mr. Carras emphasized the clear political and moral obligation to support a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus. He also stressed that commitment to dialogue precisely in times of difficulty created a valuable part of their tradition as the GTF. Prof. Ergüder, in his speech, mentioned the GTF’s efforts to bolster the understanding and empathy across the Aegean, and described the award as a recognition of the GTM members’ combined efforts to bridge the gaps created between the two societies.