LONDON, UK — The Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) is delighted to announce the finalists for the 14th Annual CEFTUS Excellence Awards Gala Dinner, taking place on Monday, 3rd November 2025, from 5:00 to 11:00 PM at the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane.
This prestigious annual event brings together leaders from politics, business, academia, media, and civil society to honour the exceptional achievements of the Turkish, Kurdish, and Cypriot communities in the United Kingdom, and to celebrate the enduring partnership between these communities and wider British society.
The CEFTUS Excellence Awards recognise individuals and organisations who have made outstanding contributions in their respective fields. This year’s categories include:
- Finance, Mortgage, Accountancy and Banking Award
- Female Businessperson of the Year
- Restaurateur of the Year
- CEFTUS Special Award
- Community Organisation of the Year
- Legal Excellence Award
- Media Excellence Award
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Advocacy and Social Justice Award
- Entrepreneurship Award
- Academic Excellence Award
- Community Engagement Award
- Culture and Arts Award
- Businessperson of the Year
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year
- Community Service Award
- CEFTUS Honorary Award
Each category celebrates individuals and organisations whose work reflects CEFTUS’s core values of excellence, inclusion, and social progress.
Attendees can expect an elegant evening of recognition and inspiration, featuring a three-course dinner, live performances, and guest speakers from across the political, business, and cultural spectrum.
Ibrahim Dogus, Founder and Director of CEFTUS, said:
“For over a decade, the CEFTUS Awards have recognised the achievements of outstanding individuals and organisations shaping the future of our communities. This year’s finalists exemplify excellence, resilience, and leadership across all sectors of society.”
The full list of finalists and event details can be found below
Join us for a night of prestige, unity, and celebration as CEFTUS continues its mission to strengthen dialogue and cooperation among communities across the UK.
Media Enquiries:
Idris Okuduci
+44 7585 285481
🌐 www.ceftus.org
CEFTUS 14TH COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS FINALISTS
CEFTUS HONORARY AWARD
Baroness Meral Ece | Feryal Clark MP | Mustafa Topkaya | Önder Şahan | Sadiq Khan | Shany Gupta | Yaşar İsmailoğlu
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Ali Gül Özbek | Cllr Suna Hurman | Dr Ismail Bulut | Dr Ziya Radman | Filiz Koç | Mahir Kılıç | Murat Özçelik | Nesin Fehmi | Nural Ezel | Şule Kangüleç
YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Alev Yaman | Ali Gürgür | Çetin Ağcagül | Dr Arya Temo | Ercan Aksu | Ersin Bedir | Fırat Bozyel | İbrahim Umut | Mehmet Nayir | Muhammed Akdere
BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR
Ahmet Boran Narman | Ali Sancak | Brusk Kıvılcım Korkmaz | Emre Özcan | Gökhan Özdemir | Kemal Kaya | Mehmet Nayir | Mehmet Şar | Nural Ezel | Suat Akgül
CULTURE AND ARTS AWARD
Çiğdem Aslan | Esra Vesu Özçelik | Fatih Gürbüz | Kaya Mar | Melisa Çilli Haywood | Olcay Bayır | Özcan Çelik | Sibel Demir | Sümer Erek | Suna Alan
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARD
Bülent Ekinci | Dr Mohammad Moustafa | Erdal Yetimova | Fidan Osoy | İbrahim Has | Kazim Kılıç | Mehmet Kemal Yenilmez | Riza Yelden | Suat Binkaya | Vatan Öz
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD
Dr Ahmet Erdi Öztürk | Dr Burcu Özçelik | Dr Emre Çalışkan | Dr Janroj Keleş | Dr Latif Taş | Dr Tunç Aybak | Dr Zeynep Kaya | Prof Dr Özlem Onaran | Prof Dr Yaprak Gürsoy
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD
Ali Keskinbıçak | Can Uçar | Hüseyin Güntaş | İnan Kıral | İrem Deniz | İsmail Yoğurtçu | Mehmet Nezir Korkut | Metin Pekin | Özgür Demirci | Süleyman Çağın
ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD
Fidan Osoy | Filiz Kılıç | Hakan Topkaya | Hasan Dikme | Hüseyin Akyol | Mehmet Keskinbıçak | Ozan Aşkın | Özcan Yoruk | Sefaret Yaman
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Ali Sancak | Altan Kemal | Dr Esin Türkbeyler | Ergün Binbay | Hüseyin Uçar | İbrahim Ahmet | Münir Tatar | Mustafa Topkaya | Osman Çinik | Tuncel Nalbantoğlu
MEDIA EXCELLENCE AWARD
Avrupa Gazete | Ayşegül Ekinci | BY TV | Londra Aktüel | Londra Gazete | Olay Gazete | Turkish British Magazine | TV Londra
LEGAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Ali Osman Halil | Erkan Coşkun | Fidan Osoy | Filiz Kılıç | Ozan Aşkın | Sefaret Yaman | Serpil Ersan | Yaşar Doğan | Yasmin Armağan
COMMUNITY ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR
Alxas Kom | Aziziye Camii | CEMEVI | Cultural Arts Croydon | Halkevi | Roj Women’s Association | Süleymaniye Camii | Turkish and Kurdish Community Centre | Turkish Cypriot Community Association | UID
CEFTUS SPECIAL AWARD
Cllr Ergin Erbil | Cllr Peray Ahmet | Feryal Clark MP | Joanne McCartney AM | Marina Ahmad AM | Mete Çoban | Nesil Çalışkan MP | Unmesh Desai AM
RESTAURATEUR OF THE YEAR
Ahmet Akdoğan | Ender Güvenç | Fırat Güven | Hasan Yaşasın | İbrahim Uzun | Kemal Aslan | Mazlum Demir | Mehmet Köksal | Metin Aksoy | Murat Yazgan | Suat Akgül
FEMALE BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR
Cemile Yıldırım | Emel Bostancı | Esra Vesu Özçelik | Helin Özçelik | Şadan Gürses | Saniye Ünal | Seda Atlı | Semira Dilgil | Sevim Aslan | Yasemin Sönmez | Zeynep Türüdi
FINANCE, MORTGAGE, ACCOUNTANCY AND BANKING AWARD
Alp Ceylan | Altan Kemal | Ersin Asutay | Ersin Bedir | İhsan Asan | İnan Sevindik | Kutan Kudret | Pınar Koygun | Ufuk Güngör | Yılmaz Güccük