Anadolu Agency receives award from Libyan gvt

ANKARA (A.A) - February 12, 2012 - libyan government and National Transitional Council (NTC) have honored Anadolu Agency (AA) with an award for its role in making the voice of Libyan revolution be heard in the world. An award ceremony was held at the AA headquarters in Ankara on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Libyan revolution that began on February 17, 2011. "Libyan and Turkish people are a single nation. Turkish government and people have always stood by the Libyan revolution from the outset, and we are grateful for that," Libyan Charge d'affaires to Turkey Tariq al-Azhari said during the ceremony. AA Director General and Executive Board President Kemal Ozturk received a plate and a certificate of appreciation for AA's role in making Libyan revolution's voice be world in the world and for its contributions to the confidence in the revolution. The plate has a silhouette of Libyan national hero Omar Mukhtar on it.  Moreover, AA's Arabic News Coordinator Turan Kislakci received a medal of courage and a certificate of appreciation for his stories and for writing the first book on Arab Spring. After the award ceremony, AA Director General and Executive Board President Kemal Ozturk said AA and Libyan national news agency would cooperate soon, and AA would start broadcasting stories in Arabic soon. "AA will open offices in Libya and North Africa, and thus we will directly get the news and directly broadcast them," Ozturk said. Ozturk also said AA aimed to become the number one news source in the Middle East.  The certificates of appreciation wrote, "thousands of people lost their lives and were sacrificed in Libya where freedom and democracy are restored with the February 17 revolution after a 42-year dictatorship. We consider you a representative of freedom and one of these heroes. You are one of the heroes of this noble revolution. We appreciate you although words are insufficient to express our feelings. What we are doing is just a minor response to your dedication. We would like to offer our gratitude and appreciation."