ANKARA 

The Photos of the Year voting organized by Anadolu concluded on Wednesday.

Sponsored by Lifebox, AJet, and ROKETSAN, the competition featured 112 photographs in six categories that made an impact on the Turkish and global agenda in 2025, captured by Anadolu photojournalists and reporters.

A total of 2,257,708 votes were cast this year.

In the News category, Mustafa Hatipoglu’s photograph titled Conqueror of the Skies won first place.

The image shows tanker aircraft from the 101st Air Refueling Squadron Command, operating under the 10th Main Jet Base Command in Incirlik, conducting mid-air refueling of F-16 and F-4E/2020 Phantom jets to ensure uninterrupted flight.

In the Daily Life category, Omer Taha Cetin’s photograph Moon Voyage received the most votes.

The image captures a half-moon appearing in the evening sky over Istanbul alongside an airplane.

In the special category Gaza: Hunger, Ali Jadallah’s photograph was selected as the winner.

The image depicts the crowd that formed during a charity food distribution to Palestinians struggling to access food due to Israel’s blockade and ongoing attacks on the Gaza Strip.

In the Nature and Environment category, Berkan Cetin’s photograph On the First Voyage took first place.

The photo shows Aegean fishermen returning to port with an abundant sardine catch on September 1, while cats wait at the harbor for their share.

In the Portrait category, Dilara Irem Sancar’s photograph Water Frame won first place. The portrait features 11-year-old Serenay Tugce Guloksuz, who posed for Anadolu on Oct 11, the International Day of the Girl Child.

In the Sports category, Esra Bilgin’s photograph of Turkish national player Alperen Sengun was selected as the winner.

The image captures a moment of competition between Greek player Kostas Papanikolaou and Turkish national player Alperen Sengun during the FIBA Men’s European Championship semifinal between Greece and Türkiye.

- 'We have become stronger, more competitive in every field'

Serdar Karagoz, chairman of the board and director general of Anadolu, stated that the Photos of the Year voting, held since 2012, serves as an important archive contributing to the shared memory of humanity.

Emphasizing that one of Anadolu's strongest aspects, alongside journalism, is its international visual production capacity, Karagoz said they have become stronger and more competitive each day in photography, video, and infographics.

Thanks to state-of-the-art equipment and experienced teams working in the field, Karagoz noted that they document historic moments across the globe.

“The ‘Photos of the Year’ voting, organized since 2012, constitutes an important archive left to humanity’s collective memory. This year, we once again witnessed many striking moments, from conflicts to diplomacy, from nature to daily life, from sports to human stories,” he said.

Two special categories were included in this year’s voting: Gaza: Hunger and Portrait, he noted.

“Especially the photographs in the ‘Gaza: Hunger’ category once again demonstrated the journalistic responsibility and dedication of our photojournalists working under extremely difficult conditions. These frames are also powerful testimonies of the genocide taking place. I sincerely congratulate all our colleagues who carried out their duties under such challenging circumstances," he further said.

"In the Portrait category, we witnessed the stories of people from different geographies. The emotion reflected on a person’s face can sometimes convey a message more powerful than words.

"Our photojournalists have made a significant contribution to the visual memory by documenting these stories with great care and sensitivity.

"I congratulate all the photojournalists, editors, and everyone involved who received awards and participated in the voting. As Anadolu, we will continue to strengthen our international competitiveness in visual journalism and leave a powerful visual legacy for the future," he added.