Afghan envoy to Turkey votes in Anadolu Agency contest

By Zehra Nur Duz and Fahri Aksut

ANKARA (AA) - Afghanistan's Ambassador to Turkey Abdul Rahim Sayed Jan voted in Anadolu Agency's Photos of the Year competition for this year, choosing his favorite entries in the news, life and sports categories.

Sayed Jan selected Mustafa Hassona’s "Iftar dinner amongst rubbles in Gaza" for the news category.

The photo depicts Palestinians who break their fast during a fast-breaking dinner (iftar) among rubbles of houses in Gaza City on May 18.

Underlining that the photo has a special message, Sayed Jan stressed that in spite of all those atrocities and fighting, the baby looks happy with his father.

In the life category, the ambassador voted for "Congenital amputee child of Syrian family," a photo taken by Anadolu Agency photojournalist Cem Genco depicting 3 year-old congenital amputee Mustafa Nezzen, playing with his father Munzir Nezzen in southern Hatay province of Turkey on Aug. 29.

Nezzen family fled the civil war in Syria by leaving Idlib and settling in Reyhanli district of the province a year ago.

Family awaits help for their congenital amputee child.

Munzir Nezzen lost a leg and was severely injured after an airstrike hit near their house six years ago in Idlib.

He was also hit by three bullets -- still in his body despite four surgeries in Syria -- fired by Assad regime's soldiers.

In the sports category, the ambassador picked Huseyin Yildiz’s photo of competitors, riding their horses on frozen Lake Cildir during Crystal Lake Winter Festival in Turkey's northeastern Ardahan province on Feb. 9.

The second largest lake in eastern Anatolia, Lake Cildir, hosted the 6th international winter festival as the lake turns into a natural ice rink in winter season.

The ambassador praised Anadolu Agency’s Photos of the Year Competition, saying: "It is very important to have this kind of competition, not only for those who take photographs. At the same time through photos you gave very good messages to the world."

The first contest of the agency was held in 2012. This year, 50 images with Turkish and English captions, selected from over 750,000 photographs and shot all over the globe, were put to a vote in news, life, and sports categories.

Last year, 223,000 people took part in the voting.

This year's voting will continue through Dec. 31 at Anadolu Agency's website (aa.com.tr).