Phoenix Awards found their owners

The "Phoenix Awards" which are given to the individuals, institutions and organizations who take "the addiction-free, healthy living" as a mission and support this fight with their words and actions, were presented to their winners with a great ceremony held in the Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall.

Fighting against addiction for almost a century, Green Crescent celebrates the Green Crescent Week from 1 to 7 March with various events. Organized within the scope of Green Crescent Week, The "Phoenix Awards" are given to the individuals, institutions and organizations who take "the addiction-free, healthy living" as a mission and support this fight with their words and actions. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of National Education Prof. Nabi Avcı, Minister of Health Dr. Mehmet Müezzinoğlu, Governor of İstanbul Vasip Şahin, Mayor of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Dr. Kadir Topbaş, and many invitees honored the award ceremony. A total of 9 individuals and institutions, from art and culture to sports, academia and politics, were awarded as "The Best Green Crescent Enthusiast".

Erdoğan: "Green Crescent today is given the Certificate of Excellence by European Institutions"
President Erdoğan once more stated that he will always continue supporting Green Crescent in its fight against addictive substances as he did during his Prime Ministry years. Wishing this week to be auspicious to the country, nation and all humanity, President Erdoğan congratulated the sportsmen, artists, journalists, academics, politicians, organizations, and companies that were the winners of the award. Erdoğan stated that all topics within Green Crescent’s area of interest are not only Turkey’s problem, they are the problems and issues the whole world fights against, and without international cooperation there won’t be any major success.

Attracting attention to the centennial fight of Green Crescent against alcohol, tobacco, drug, technology and gambling addiction, Erdoğan said:
"I personally follow this struggle which is carried out with scientific methods for human dignity and honor. I see that having focused on advocacy works in the past, Green Crescent today starts giving psychological and social support and treatment service. Just as in my Prime Ministry years, I will continue supporting Green Crescent in my Presidency years. Last 14 years of Turkey has become a period which the subjects that were of secondary importance in the past have been put back on the agenda. You, as the members and volunteers of Green Crescent, are the witnesses of this process. Earlier, there was a Green Crescent that was struggling with impossibilities, today there is a Green Crescent that receives a Certificate of Excellence from European Institutions."

Prof. Öztürk: "We are going to get through to people"
President of Green Crescent Prof.  Mücahit Öztürk said that in recent years Green Crescent has been conducting its activities with a new vision. Prof. Öztürk continued:
"In order to fight against addiction as a more effective and powerful NGO, we accelerated our organizing process in both national and international level; we increased the number of our branches from 23 to 120 in Turkey, and we established Green Crescents in 30 different countries. In April, we will form the International Federation of Green Crescents. Within the scope of Addiction Prevention Training Program of Turkey, a preventive and protective program targeting people of all ages, we trained 28000 school counsellors who will reach 20 million students and train them about addiction and its causes. We added rehabilitation to our fields of activity; and through Green Crescent Counseling Center (YEDAM), we are giving psychological and social support and service to addicts and their families." Pointing out that they presented Phoenix Awards to individuals and institutions who are role models with their lifestyles and works, Prof. Öztürk said:

"As Green Crescent, we are going to get through to our youth thanks to our thousands of volunteers and projects before addictions get them"

Awards found their owners
Among awardees were national basketball player Semih Erden in sport field, Mayor of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Dr. Kadir Topbaş in politics, e-bebek in social responsibility, Ayşenur Asuman Uğur in media, Chief of the Drug Prevention and Health Branch at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Dr. Gilberto Gerra in international solidarity, Prof. Recep Erol Sezer in academia, actress Deniz Barut in art. Special awards were given to  Deputy Chairman of Turkuvaz Medya Serhat Albayrak and head of Directorate of Religious Affairs Prof. Mehmet Görmez.