Event Overview
The NATO 75th Anniversary Photo Contest, organized by the Turkish Atlantic Council in collaboration with YATA International and YATA Germany, invites photographers from around the globe to capture their interpretations of the theme "All for One, One for All for 75 Years." This contest celebrates NATO's pivotal role in maintaining global security and stability over the past 75 years. The event will culminate in prestigious exhibitions in Istanbul and at the NATO Youth Summit next year, showcasing selected and winning entries. Main sponsors include NATO and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye.
Event Objectives
Commemorate NATO's 75th AnniversaryCelebrate NATO's rich history and achievements through the unique perspectives of global photographers.
Engage and Educate the PublicIlluminate NATO's vital contributions to global peace and security.
Foster a Global CommunityEncourage unity and shared responsibility among global citizens.
Provide a Platform for PhotographersOffer international recognition and a platform for photographers to contribute to the global dialogue on security and diplomacy.
Event Highlights
Call for EntriesA global invitation for photo submissions with clear guidelines and criteria
Marketing and PromotionA comprehensive strategy utilizing social media, partner networks, and media releases to maximize participation and audience reach.
ExhibitionsInaugural exhibition in Istanbul followed by exhibitions in NATO capitals such as Berlin.
Judging and AwardsAn expert panel of photographers, representatives from partner organizations, and cultural experts to ensure a transparent and fair judging process.
Application Criterias
- Participants must have their place of work and residence in a NATO country or a PfP country or the pictures must deal thematically with NATO or have been photographed in one of the countries.
- the pictures must have been taken in the five years prior to the closing date. Membership of one of the YATA chapters is not a prerequisite.
- participants can upload up to three photos in each category at the same time.
- images must all be uploaded online via the entry form.
- the images will be submitted to the jury in anonymous form, the data entered is for information purposes only for the organizers.
- montages or images created with the help of AI are excluded from participation.
- the participant assures that he/she is the sole owner of the copyrights and that the submitted works are free of third party rights.
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the entrant agrees that the photos may be used free of charge
- may be shown free of charge as part of a traveling exhibition
- in the exhibition catalog, on advertising material for the traveling exhibition and for the competition
- in cross-media reporting on the competition by third parties and YATA
- and reporting on the YATA website and in social networks (such as Facebook/Twitter/ lnstagram/etc),
- may be published on the YATA website for illustration purposes.
- the name of the original author will be mentioned with each publication.
- participation in the competition is free of charge
- The jury reserves the right to assign the submitted images to other categories in individual cases.
- legal recourse is excluded. By entering the competition, the entrant agrees to the terms and conditions of the competition.
- closing date for entries: October 30, 2024.
Categories and Topics
Photographers are invited to submit their work across various categories. Each category will award both single pictures and series.
I. Behind the Alliance
Reveal the personal side of NATO military life. Submit photos that depict the families, cultural bonds, and daily lives of service members, capturing the human experiences behind the uniform.
II. The Future of the Alliance
Explore the future of NATO through creativity and knowledge. Submit photos that reflect youth engagement, new security challenges, technological advances, and evolving global cooperation, embodying the hopes and aspirations of the younger generation.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Contact us if you want to be one of our sponsors: secretariat@tak.org.tr
Event Awards
- A weekend in Istanbul
- Exhibitons in Europe and North America
- Publication in the leading magazine on European Security
Juries
Wolfgang Rattay is Senior Photographer for Reuters News Pictures. He has been active since 1978 and joined Reuter News Pictures in 1985. He has been Chief Photographer Germany from 1996-2004. Since 2004 Wolfgang is a senior specialist photographer with various multi-skilled tasks and responsibilities such as managing teams, organising and editing major events and assignments.
Lena Pütz is a leading voice on Instagram on military and security issues through her Instagram channel Sportkameradin. She is a social media manager and civil servant in the public sector with practical expertise in content creation and marketing. Her main focus is on planning, implementation, analysis and optimisation of social media strategies, especially in the recruitment of young talents. She is a also a co-founder of the initiative against extremism #WirGegenExtremismus.
Volkan Furuncu is the Deputy Photo News Editor at Anadolu Agency. He graduated from Gazi University with a degree in Radio, TV, and Cinema. Furuncu began his career in 2004 and worked as a photojournalist at Anadolu Agency from 2006 to 2021.
Between 2016 and 2018, he served as Anadolu Agency’s photojournalist in New York. He has also worked in conflict and disaster zones such as Libya, Tunisia, and Syria. Furuncu has received numerous awards in the category of news photography.
Elif Ece Öztürk is a dedicated Press and Programme Officer at the Public Diplomacy
Division within NATO Headquarters in Brussels. In her role as Programme Officer, she
develops and implements tailored public diplomacy strategies for Türkiye and various
NATO partners in the Middle East and North Africa, including Bahrain, Jordan, and
Mauritania. She is committed to strengthening long-term relationships with civil
society, engaging in targeted outreach activities with key stakeholders.
As a Press Officer, she leads NATO’s MENA press tours for journalists from
Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative partner countries during
significant events such as NATO Summits and Ministerial Meetings. She provides
support to the Spokesperson and the Acting Deputy Spokesperson on media
engagement issues concerning the MENA region.
Before joining NATO, she interned at the UNICEF country office in Ankara, where she
contributed to the legal team at the Child Protection Unit. Her work focused on
analysing the legal protection of unaccompanied minors in the EU during the 2016
refugee and migrant crisis. She holds degrees in Public and International Law from
the Université Saint-Louis and the Université Libre de Bruxelles, with a specialization
in the Law of Armed Conflict.
Before being appointed as the Director General for International Security on 2023, Ambassador Basat Öztürk had served as the Turkish Permanent Representative to NATO between 2018-2023. Previously, he had served as the Deputy Undersecretary at the Turkish Ministry of National Defence between 2016-2018. Prior to assuming that position, Ambassador Öztürk was the DG for International Security at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 2015-2016. He earlier served at the MFA as DG for Multilateral Political Affairs between 2013-2015. He was appointed in 2009 as Turkish Ambassador to Afghanistan where he had served until 2013.
Ahmet Gencturk, PhD is correspondent on European affairs with a particular focus on Greece of the Turkiye’s Anadolu English News Agency. Transatlantic security, modern European history, Turkish foreign policy and energy security, among other things, are among his interests.
Jürgen Fischer is an experienced communications professional in the political/parliamentary arena with extensive experience in the media industry. Previously, he was Head of the Security and Defence Policy Department at the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government, advising the government spokesman and acting as a consultant on defence policy for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag.
His professional highlights include his work as security policy advisor and project manager for Africa at the Federal Ministry of Defence, advisor for strategic communication and target management at the Army Command, as well as lecturer for leadership behaviour and media trainer for top members of the Bundeswehr. With more than 40 years of experience as an officer in the German Armed Forces and numerous deployments abroad in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Bosnia & Herzegovina, Jürgen Fischer combines technical expertise in crisis communication and media relations with profound knowledge and passion for security policy.
