ISTANBUL — Winners of one of the most prestigious and longest-running theater awards in Turkey, the 18th Yapı Kredi Afife Theater Awards, were announced last night.

The glamorous ceremony held at the Haliç Congress Center welcomed many prominent names from the art world, along with famous actors, actresses and big names from the business world. One of the most anticipated awards, the Muhsin Ertugrul Special Award, was accepted by Güner Özkul, the daughter of this year's winner, veteran theater-actorturned- movie-director Münir Özkul. He has directed some of the most well-known films that gained cult status in Turkish cinema, such as "Arabesk" (Arabesque) and "Hababam Sınıfı" (The Class of Cows). The Cevat Fehmi Baskut Special Award was presented to Ahmet Sami Özbudak, who won the Europe's Youngest Playwright Award at the Heidelberg Stückemarkt Festival with his play "Iz" (Trace). Zehra Ipsiroglu, a member of the Association for Supporting Contemporary Life, was awarded with the Yapı Kredi Special Award.

The Kredi Afife Theater Awards recently made two important changes. While increasing the number of nominees from three to five, the organization removed the comedy awards, a decis ion that has drawn criticism from many famous Turkish theater actors, who protested the award ceremony by not attending. The Afife Theater Awards were organized in 1996 to honor the first Turkish Muslim actress Afife Jale.

The main aim of the awards is to draw more attention to Turkish theater and support the arts and artists. The harsh criteria and the attention and care shown by the jury during the election process made the award one of the most prestigious and critically recognized in Turkey.

THIS YEAR'S WINNERS:

Best Stage Lighting Design of the Year: Cem Yılmazer - "Savas" (War) - Tiyatro Pürtelas

Best Score of the Year: Oktay Köseoglu - "Arturo Ui'nin Önlenebilir Tırmanısı" (The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui)

Best Costume Designer of the Year: Tomris Kuzu - "Huysuz" (Grumpy) - Asya Prodüksiyon Tiyatrosu

Best Young Artist of the Year: Ecem Uzun - "Savas" (War) - Tiyatro Pürtelas

Best Supporting Actress of the Year: Defne Halman - "Katil Joe" (Killer Joe) - Tiyatro In

Best Actress of the Year: Zerrin Tekindor - "Kim Korkar Hain Kurttan" (Who is afraid of the big bad wolf?) - Oyun Atölyesi

Best Director of the Year: Ümit Aydogdu - "Arturo Ui'nin Önlenebilir Tırmanısı" (The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui)

Best Production of the Year: Tiyatro Adam - "Arturo Ui'nin Önlenebilir Tırmanısı" (The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui)