ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base
Gazeteciler ve Yazarlar Vakfi
Journalists and Authors Foundation
The Journalists and Authors Foundation, commonly referred to as Gazeteciler ve Yazarlar Vakfi (GYV), was established in 1994 by Fethullah Gülen as an alternative leadership structure. The organization's primary objective is to promote tolerance, dialogue, and intellectual discussions on national and international matters.GYV has been involved in various initiatives over the years, including sponsoring platforms for intercultural dialogue such as the Abant Platform, Diyalog Eurasia Platform (DA Platform), Intercultural Dialogue Platform (KADIP), Female Platform, Medialog Platform, and Research Center. These platforms aim to facilitate intellectual discussions on topics of mutual interest among journalists, authors, and intellectuals from diverse backgrounds.
In addition to its platform initiatives, GYV has organized various events and conferences, including the International Family Conferences, Women's Fitness Workshop, Together Life Awards, and Antalya Forum. The organization also presents annual awards in recognition of individuals who have made significant contributions to promoting tolerance and dialogue.
The Tolerance and Dialogue Awards, established by GYV, are presented annually to recognize outstanding achievements in promoting intercultural understanding and cooperation. Past recipients include notable figures such as Süleyman Demirel (President of Turkey), Nursultan Nazarbayev (President of Kazakhstan), Rauf Denktaş (President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus), Heydar Aliyev (Azerbaijani President), Mihtimer Yemiyev (President of the Russian Federation's Tatarstan republic), Saparmurat Turkmenbasi (President of Turkmenistan), Askar Akayev (Kyrgyzstan President), Natsagiyn Bagabandi (Mongolia President), Aliya Izzetbegoviç (Bosnia-Herzegovina President), Eduard Şevardnadze (Georgia President), Imamali Rahman (Tajikistan President), and Saparmurat Türkmenbasi (Turkmenistan President).
GYV's activities have been the subject of controversy, particularly in relation to its ties with Fethullah Gülen. In 2016, a decree issued by the Turkish government terminated the organization's activities due to concerns over its alleged involvement in the July 15 Pulse Initiative, which was seen as an attempt to influence Turkey's democratic process.