The Bilkent University Human Rights Center held the award ceremony for its fourth annual essay competition on Friday, October 16, at the Library Art Gallery. Organized each year in memory of Ege Okant, a 2017 graduate of the Faculty of Law who lost her life in the February 6, 2023, earthquake, the competition seeks to promote scholarly research and academic writing on human rights.
This year’s competition focused on children’s rights under the theme “The Child as a Subject of Rights: From a Miniature Human to an Autonomous Individual,” inviting critical reflection on the evolving understanding of children as independent rights-holders and on the recognition of their autonomy within the broader framework of human rights.
The ceremony opened with welcoming remarks by Prof. Ece Göztepe, director of the Center, followed by an overview of the Turkish Constitutional Court’s case law on children’s rights by Ayşenur Tuncer, a rapporteur at the Court. The awards were then presented.
Ece Öztaş (LAW/’24) received first prize and the Ege Okant Special Award, Emir Sinan Güler second prize and Elif Sümeyye Örsdemir third prize. Established in memory of Ege Okant, the Special Award recognizes academic work grounded in humanitarian values and respect for diversity.
