Results Announced for the “Women, the Face of the Land” Instagram Photo Contest

30 January 2026

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RESULTS ANNOUNCED FOR THE İZMİR COMMODITY EXCHANGE’S ANNUAL INSTAGRAM PHOTO CONTEST, THEMED “WOMEN, THE FACE OF THE LAND”

The İzmir Commodity Exchange, one of the few institutions to have witnessed Türkiye’s political and economic life for 135 years, has announced the results of the ninth edition of its annual Instagram Photo Contest, held from 1 October to 15 December 2025 under the theme “Women, the Face of the Land”.

The contest was open to all photographs that highlighted the value of women’s work in the production chain, depicting their hard work in agriculture, their working conditions, and the realities of rural life. A jury of experts carefully evaluated the entries and selected the winners.

Commenting on the results, Işınsu Kestelli, Chair of the Board of Directors of the İzmir Commodity Exchange, said, “Our first Instagram contest, which focused on our historic Exchange Palace, attracted considerable interest. So did the contests that followed, on grapes and figs, cotton and olives and olive oil, livestock farming, Soil and Children, Sustainability in Agriculture, Agriculture in the Republic’s Centenary, and Agriculture Entrusted to Us by the Past, a Legacy for the Future. Since the contest began, our entrants have brought these themes to life through outstanding photographs, and our jury, made up of members of the Exchange’s management and academics with expertise in their respective fields, has carefully evaluated their work. The İzmir Commodity Exchange is one of the few institutions to have witnessed Türkiye’s political and economic life for 135 years. We develop pioneering projects to sustain and expand agricultural production and diversity and pass on to future generations what we have inherited. Through this work, we set an example and encourage other organisations and stakeholders in the sector. For the ninth edition of our annual Instagram contest, we drew inspiration from the words of our great leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, ‘Everything in the world is the work of women’, and highlighted women’s role and labour in making the land productive, sustaining production, and shaping the future of agriculture.”

Işınsu Kestelli: The United Nations’ designation of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer was a welcome coincidence that matched our contest theme

Işınsu Kestelli referred to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s decision to designate 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer and described the timing, coming just as the Exchange’s “Women, the Face of the Land” contest concluded, as a welcome coincidence. She said the Exchange takes every opportunity to recognise the people whose contributions to agriculture often go unseen and to highlight the value of women’s work in the production chain. She noted that the photographs submitted to the contest brought these efforts to life. “In 2026, the UN is calling for greater awareness of the vital role women farmers play in agricultural and food systems around the world and of their contributions to food security, nutrition, and poverty eradication. By a happy coincidence, our contest focused on exactly this theme. Women’s work in every area of farming and livestock production is one of the most important forces keeping production going. The ‘Women, the Face of the Land’ Instagram Photo Contest is a significant step towards raising awareness of women’s work in agriculture. For 135 years, the İzmir Commodity Exchange has made it its mission to bring producers’ work to public attention. Drawing on that history, we aim to pass today’s stories of agricultural production on to future generations and show the realities of women’s lives and work in agriculture,” she said.

Kestelli added, “Our Facebook and Instagram ads for the contest generated a total of 112,801 impressions. The announcement reached 44,857 people on social media, and 2,776 people clicked through to the contest page on our website, www.itb.org.tr. We received 1,092 entries, of which 906 met the contest rules and were submitted to the jury for evaluation. The winners were selected after two rounds of judging. Participation and interest continue to grow substantially each year. We are delighted by the interest in what has become an annual tradition.”

Prizes to Be Presented to the Winners

The contest was held in a single category under the theme “Women, the Face of the Land”. The first prize was set at TRY 30,000, the second at TRY 15,000, the third at TRY 10,000, and the honourable mention award at TRY 7,500. Entries selected for exhibition outside the prize rankings will receive an exhibition participation award of TRY 2,500.

The jury evaluated the entries in two rounds. It comprised Ercan Korkmaz, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the İzmir Commodity Exchange, Treasurer İlhan Zincircioğlu, Board Member Sonnur Kırmızıoğlu, Prof. Dr. Gökhan Birinci of the Department of Photography at Dokuz Eylül University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, Prof. Dr. Özlem Aşman Alikılıç of Yaşar University’s Faculty of Communication, retired academic Dr. Ahmet İmançer, İzmir Journalists’ Association member Turan Gültekin, and Şükrü Akın, Aegean Regional Representative of the Photojournalists’ Association of Türkiye. The jury selected 35 entries for exhibition and awarded prizes to six of them.

The award ceremony and exhibition will follow a schedule that the İzmir Commodity Exchange will announce on its social media accounts in the coming days.

The jury ranked the prize winners as follows:

1- Ahmet Harmancı / @ahmet_hrmnc

2- Seyit Konyalı / @seyit_konyali

3- Ebubekir Bürçün / @ebubekirburcun

4- Funda Kılıç / @fndfndk

5- Yalçın Akkaya / @yalcinakkaya07

6- Yunus Yazıcı / @yunusyaziciart

Selected for Exhibition:

7- Hasan Uçar / @hasanucar_photography

8- Esengül Alıcı / @esen.artt

9- Mustafa Kılınç / @mustafkilinc

10- Kenan Nihat Elçi / @kenannihatelcii