Playing a vital role in modern news reporting, photojournalism will be thoroughly discussed at "International Photojournalism Days: PhotoAntalya" from Wednesday to Sunday this week. A first in Turkey, "PhotoAntalya" will bring the world's most famous photojournalists, Turkish photo editors of foreign news agencies, photo editors of high-circulated local newspapers and Turkey's master photojournalists. Scheduled to take place in the southern city of Antalya, the event will cover 60 exhibitions, 21 panels, 15 presentations and four special sessions with prestigious figures from photojournalism. Organized in collaboration with the Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATSO) and Turkey's Photojournalists' Association (TFMD), "PhotoAntalya" will present 1,200 photos, as stated in the joint press release. TFMD Chairman Rıza Özel announced the first edition of PhotoAntalya will be introduced with the theme "tanıklık" (witnessing) because photojournalists are commonly described as "witnesses of history."

Among the invited photojournalists and photo editors are National Geographic's Iranian photographer Reza Deghati, photography director of German Geo Magazines Ruth Eichhorn, photo editor of The International New York Times (France) Gaia Tripoli, Kosuke Okahara from Japan, Agence VU photojournalist Cedric

Gerbehaye, World Press Photo Award-winner Christopher Morris, Jodi Bieber from South Africa and Pulitzer-winning photojournalist Murad Sezer. Successful Turkish photo editors and journalists from local newspapers such as Kutup Dalgakıran, Mehmet Acar and İlhami Yıldırım, the photo journalists and editors of Sabah daily will be participating in the event as well. Dalgakıran's photos place a special focus on prisons while Yıldırım will introduce his "Faces of Istanbul" photo collection.

Turkey's internationally known Armenian-Turkish photojournalist Ara Güler will honor the event during the preliminary panel session with Reza. Nicknamed "İstanbul'un Gözü" (The Eye of Istanbul), Güler is a visual historian and has exceptional observation talents in reflecting the outside world in his work. Another prestigious photojournalist, Çoşkun Aral, will deliver the opening presentation. World-known sports photojournalist Kerim Ökten, who passed away last year when his motorbike was hit by lighting, will be commemorated with a special selection of his works.

Ferit İbrahim, Turkey's pioneering photojournalist, will be represented by his photos and at another panel session dedicated to his professional life. In addition, the photo collections of the TFMD and the General Directorate of Press and Information will be shown to the public. In a press meeting, ATSO President Davut Çetin said that a number of exhibitions will be held in different parts of the city. The TFMD's 30th Press Photo Awards will also be announced next week, he said. An Instagram photo competition from March 10 to March 27 also drew great interest. In the first 10 days of the competition over 4,000 photos with the hashtag #PhotoAntalya were shared on Instagram. The winners of the competition will receive a monetary award, Çetin said.