Presidential Awards handed out by Erdo?an

The Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards 2015 were handed out on Dec. 9 by President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an at a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara. 

This year's award recipients included veteran actor Münir Özkul in the field of cinema, Orhan Gencebay in the field of music, Rasim Özdenören in the field of literature, Mehmet Genç in the field of social sciences and history, and Hüseyin Kutlu in the field of traditional arts. Late intellectual Cemil Meriç was also deemed worthy of the Culture and Arts Loyalty Award. 

Özkul's and Meriç's awards were presented to their daughters at the ceremony. 

The awards are distributed every year by the state to Turkish and foreign artists and institutions that contribute and honor Turkish culture and art, the Presidential Press Information Center said in a written statement.

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