site.btaTurkish Cartoon Contest Award-Winning Entries Go on Display in Kazanlak

Works which have won top awards at the International Nasreddin Hodja Cartoon Contest in Turkiye went on display at Ivan Milev Hall in Kazanlak on March 27. Special guests at the opening of the exhibition were Turkish Cartoonists Association (TCA) President Metin Peker, Valeri Alexandrov of the Union of Bulgarian Artists, renowned Turkish artists Ibrahim Tuncay and Kadir Dogruer, and Bulgarian cartoon masters.

The event was also attended by Chudomir Museum Director Dobrina Matova, Chudomir Foundation President Boris Karchev, local administration officials and heads of cultural institutions.

The exhibition is part of the Chudomir Festival, highlighting the life and work of painter and writer Dimitar Chorbadzhiiski (1890-1967), better known by his penname Chudomir.

The Nasreddin Hodja Cartoon Contest in Turkiye was established in 1974. It has been held every year, except for an eight-year break in the aftermath of the 1980 coup. It has become one of the largest cartoon competitions in the world involving the leading artists in this field from many countries, including Bulgaria, Kazanlak-based cartoonist Nikolai Fitkov said.

TCA President Metin Peker said the contest attracts great interest worldwide. He said many international cartoonists have grasped the humour associated with the popular Turkish character Nasreddin Hodja.

The head of the Chudomir Foundation, Boris Karchev, presented the Turkish guests with certificates of participation in the Chudomir Festival. For his part, Peker awarded plaquettes to Bulgarian cartoonists.