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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Wednesday that Türkiye will present its Atatyrk International Peace Award to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during ceremonies marking the 102nd anniversary of the Turkish Republic.
The announcement came during a special Oct. 29 program held at the Presidential Complex's Exhibition Hall in Ankara, where Erdogan addressed attendees at the Republic Day celebration.
The Ataturk International Peace Award, part of Türkiye's Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards is country's one of the highest honors for contributions to international peace and diplomacy.
The award caps a nearly decade-long working relationship between Erdogan and Guterres that has centered on multiple global crises, from the Syrian refugee situation to the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East.
The two leaders' collaboration dates to Feb. 2017, when Guterres, shortly after assuming his UN post, met Erdogan in Istanbul to discuss Cyprus and Syria. At the time, Guterres praised Türkiye as "a key country" for resolving the Syrian crisis and thanked the Turkish government for its "outstanding generosity in hosting millions of refugees from Syria and Iraq."
Their partnership has since expanded to address various flashpoints. In April 2022, following a phone call about tensions in Jerusalem and the Ukraine conflict, Erdogan said he and Guterres evaluated "joint steps that could be taken for peace in the region." Later that month, Guterres visited Ankara and "expressed his support and gratitude to President Erdogan for Türkiye's diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine."
A significant achievement in their cooperation came in Nov. 2022, when both leaders participated in a four-party meeting that renewed the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Guterres wrote on social media: "Without their generosity & commitment this initiative would never have been born. Istanbul remains the centre of a remarkable diplomatic achievement." Erdogan responded by extending his gratitude to Guterres and other leaders involved.
The two have also collaborated on global environmental initiatives. In Sept. 2023, Erdogan and Guterres jointly opened for signature the Global Zero Waste Goodwill Declaration at the UN General Assembly.
More recently, in August 2024, Erdogan publicly praised Guterres' stance on UN Security Council reform, calling his views "quite valuable for the world to have a fair system again."
Most recently, the two met Sept. 23 in New York during the 80th UN General Assembly session. Their discussion addressed Israel's attacks on Gaza, with Erdogan emphasizing that "the international community must intensify its pressure on Israel in order to secure the uninterrupted entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza."
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