2017 Istanbul Photo Awards exhibition opens in Izmir

IZMIR, Turkey

An exhibition of Anadolu Agency’s 2017 Istanbul Photo Awards contest that rewarded 22 photographers from 17 countries opened Thursday in Turkey's western Izmir province.

Attending the opening ceremony, the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's Izmir deputy Necip Kalkan praised the exhibition.

The Folkart Gallery in Izmir will display the winning photographs from this year's Istanbul Photo Awards that saw around 25,000 entries in eight categories.

Twenty-two photographers from 17 countries received awards during the March contest sponsored by Turkish Airlines and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

French photographer Frederic Lafargue’s "Fleeing Daesh" was named Photo of the Year.

Aris Messinis’s series "Death in the Mediterranean" for Agence France-Presse won the News Series Award, while Adam Pretty's photo "Below the Surface" taken for Getty Images won the Sports Single Award.

Anadolu Agency Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board Saban Kizildag said the photo contest was receiving more international appreciation each year.

Recalling that Istanbul and Ankara were also hosting the exhibition, Kizildag said the agency was planning to open two more exhibitions in New York and Moscow in the upcoming months.

The exhibition in Izmir can be visited until Oct. 7.

*Reporting by Halil Sahin; Writing by Ayse Humeyra Atilgan Buyukovali