Photographer Buket Özatay's photo exhibition titled ”From My Viewfinder“ consisting of 190 photos opened by President Mustafa Akıncı at the Near East University Faculty of Health Sciences.

According to a press statement released by the Near East University Press and Public Relations Directorate, President Mustafa Akıncı and his wife Meral Akıncı, Turkey's Ambassador to Nicosia Ali Murat Başçeri, Founding Rector of Near East University Dr. Suat İrfan Günsel, Director of State Culture Office Şehbal Hamzaoğluları, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Assoc. Prof. Dr. İrfan Suat Günsel, vice-rectors, deans, lecturers, artists, family members and guests of Buket Özatay attended the opening of the exhibition at the Faculty of Health Sciences Exhibition Hall.

At the opening of the exhibition, the Founding President of the Cyprus Turkish National History Museum and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Prof. Dr. Ali Efdal Özkul, Photograph Artist Buket Özatay and President Mustafa Akıncı made speeches.

Prof. Dr. Özkul, "We are bringing to life the philosophy of combining science and art..."
The Founding President of the Cyprus Turkish National History Museum and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Prof. Dr. Ali Efdal Özkul, delivering the opening speech of the exhibition, stated that they have been trying to bring together the basic philosophy of science and art at the Near East University since the very first day of its establishment and so far they have done so many activities throughout the years.

Stating that their ultimate goal is to take part among the top 500 universities in the world, they prioritize science and that they rose to the top levels in academic research fields with scientific articles published and scanned in more than 1200 international indexes in 2018. Prof. Dr. Özkul, stating that while achieving this success, making investments in art was always in the minds, and they have started to make progress in this field and founded the Museums Area on the campus of Near East University.

Professor Dr. Özkul said, "The Cyprus Car Museum, which is the first museum that has a history of twenty years and the first museum established on campus, the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts housing and exhibiting in its temporary building over 6 thousand works made by a thousand artists, the Knife Museum of which the foundation studies are being conducte, the Herbarium Museum which houses over 7 thousand samples, the Turkish Cypriot History Museum which will open its doors in 2020, the Maritime Museum of the University of Kyrenia are the results of art, culture and history studies of the Near East University. Giving detailed information about the establishment, construction stages and contents of the museums, Pro. Dr. Özkul added that thanks to the museums, young people will be able to explore the future.

"We want to make a breakthrough in art..."
Prof. Dr. Özkul stating that they want to make a break in art and open a new era in art, said that, inspired by the historical names of Cyprus, they gave the master artists the award of Alasya (Alasia) and said: The Alasya award will be given in five branches, including painting, printing, photography, sculpture and ceramics. In these five areas, we have been inspired by the Turkic philosophers lived between the 9th and 12th centuries and their names were given to the awards. These names are Fergani, Hârizmî, İbn Tufel, El-Biruni, İbn-i Heysem. The discoveries of these philosophers have changed the direction of the world. In the field of photography, Ibn-i Haysem; Ferghani in the field of painting; Khardism in the printmaking; Ibn Tufeyl in the field of sculpture; in the field of sculpture Ibn Tufeyl and El-Biruni's name in the field of ceramic will be identified with the art awards. We want to show that our country's artists are worldwide."

Prof. Dr. Özkul at the end of his speech stated that 190 photos of Buket Özatay taken from all over the world were exhibited at the exhibition and that the icons of our country's artists will always exist at the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts.

Buket Özatay: "I am excited and proud to open the first exhibition of my photographs..."
Expressing her excitement at the beginning of her speech, Photographer Buket Özatay said that she opened her first solo exhibition as a project exhibition in 2015, and that 190 photographs was the first exhibition in which 190 photographs of hers were brought together.

Özatay said, "When I came here and I saw my photos together, I was very excited. I looked at them as if they weren't mine because I saw them together for the first time. I would like to thank the Near East University for this initiative. I was very honored and proud”. In the following parts of her speech, she thanked the Near East University for having created the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts as a cultural value of our country and stated that she was very proud for her photos being exhibited in the museum. She also expressed gratitude to his father Öztan Özatay, who made her love photography. Özatay said that she developed herself in this area by being interested in the artistic aspect of the photography that she gained as a profession.

Buket Özatay, who was longing for her father, thanked the founding Rector of Near East University Dr. Suat İrfan Günsel, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Assoc. Prof. Dr. İrfan Suat Günsel, Founding President of the Cyprus Turkish National History Museum and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Prof. Dr. Ali Efdal Özkul and the Director of the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts Görkem Bulunç for their efforts and dedication in organizing the exhibition.

President Akıncı: "Investments in Culture, Arts and Science are Investments for the Future..."
President Akıncı stating that this time the reason for coming to the Near East University is not the services provided to the community, ground braking ceremonies and graduation ceremonies, but the art activities, said that the cultural activities bring together society. Expressing his pride in the investments made by the Near East University, President Akıncı said, "The investments made to this field is a serious investment for the future. As for the concept of development, development is not just figures related to the economic data. The development lacking of cultural, artistic dimension is not a development. When the social and political development go in line with the cultural and artistic development, then we can mention about the real developments of the society. The Near East University has done its part by making such important contributions to social development. I hereby congratulate them."

Akıncı in his speech stating that the Near East University has founded one of the largest libraries in the Middle East region, said the University is also standing out with the most advanced super computers, the success of the robotics football team which won international success, both in technology and science, as well as with making significant investments in culture and art.

President Mustafa Akıncı congratulated Buket Özatay for her success in the field of photography and for the photographic competition held every year in memory of photojournalist Öztan Özatay, Buket Özatay's deceased father.

IBN HEYSEM AWARD was presented...

After the speeches, President Mutafa Akıncı and President of the Board of Trustees of NEU Assoc. Prof. Dr. İrfan Suat Günsel presented the ”İbn Heysem Photography award Buket Özatay within the scope of the Alasia Awards given to the artists whose works were exhibited in the museums of the Near East University.

Ambassador Murat Başçeri opened the Statue Made for Özatay...
Ambassador Ali Murat Başçeri, the Ambassador of Turkey to Nicosia, opened the statue of Buket Özatay made by a Kazakhstanian sculptor to be exhibited at the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts.

Exhibition Ribbon Cut...
Later on, the exhibition of 190 photographs by photographer Buket Özatay, which is based on nature, people, creative, travel and street images from different countries of the world, was opened.

The exhibition "From My Viewfinder" will be open to visitors until April 26, 2019 at the Faculty of Health Sciences Exhibition Hall between 10.00-12.00.