Cypriot Journalist Uludağ Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Click to read the article in Turkish

Northern Cypriot investigative journalist Sevgül Uludağ has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Uludağ is known for her efforts in searching out the Cypriot Turks and Greeks who went missing in the periods of conflict in 1963-1964 and 1974.

Assoc. Prof. Anna Agathangelu from Canada's York University Department of Political Science has nominated Uludağ.

The two newspapers that Uludağ is a columnist for, the Yeni Düzen in Turkish and the Politis in Greek have released a statement, announcing her nomination.

Joint statement from two newspapers

Here is a summary of the statement made by Cenk Mutluyakalı and Dionisis Dinonisiou, the editors-in-chief of the two newspapers:

"Investigative journalist Sevgi Uludağ, who works as a columnist for our newspapers, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her very valuable efforts regarding the issue of "the missing," along with using her journalistic abilities for democratic solutions to social problems, and by that, playing a pioneering role for the two societies developing a mutual sensibility.

Looking for 'the missing' for 18 years

"Born in 1958 in Nicosia, Sevgi Uludağ has committed the last 19 years of her 39-year active journalism career to search out the places where "the missing ones" are buried, investigating and writing the sorrowful stories, mobilizing her readers from both societies to show possible places where the missing bodies could be buried in and make them voluntarily help this humanitarian issue and make humanitarian contributions.

"Both her and our organizations have been subjected to serious threats. Uludağ, with a patriotic stance against these threats, has become the defender of humanity's universal values."

Established a 'hotline' for her readers

"Sevgül Uludağ established "hotlines" with her own mobile phones for her readers from both two societies. Through this "hotline," her readers anonymously give her information.

"Some of the information is published on our newspapers, and some are shared with the Committee for the Missing and thus the silence that is loaded with guilt that has been continuing for years is being broken and the way is paved for humanitarian cooperation of our societies."

"We can accomplish together"

"Uludağ gathered the relatives of "the missing ones" together and lead them to found the organization "We Can Achieve Together" and hold events together to make it understood that the pain is mutual.

"With her articles and investigations, she very humanely handled this subject that was a "taboo" in the past and played a pioneering role for progress.

"Both Yeni Düzen and Politis newspapers are proud of giving full professional support to Sevgül Uludağ's investigations."

(EKN/VK)