28.12.2020 – Union of Cypriots presents Honorary Awards to recognize the contributions of Cypriot individuals or organizations for our independence struggle. Union of Cypriots Honorary Awards are given in memory of a Cypriot community leader Dr. Ihsan Ali, who spent his life for his people and the Cypriot Republic.
In 2020, we are honored to present the award to Şener Levent, the editor-in-chief of Avrupa (previously also known as “Afrika”) newspaper.
On this occasion, we would like to express our solidarity with Şener Levent and all the writers of Avrupa newspaper. Turkey’s islamofascist President Erdoğan is doing another attempt to prosecute Şener Levent in Ankara, after the Turkish-speaking Cypriot judge acquitted Avrupa last year in the courts of the occupied northern areas of Cyprus. We will not let any Cypriot become a hostage in the dungeons of Ankara.
Union of Cypriots will continue fighting for the restoration of the Republic of Cyprus and its legitimate constitutional order, the ending of the Turkish occupation and the removal of the illegal Turkish settlers and the military from the island.
Respectfully announced to the public.
Union of Cypriots
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Şener Levent was born in 1948 in Nicosia. He graduated from the Journalism School of the Lomonosov Moscow State University. During his professional carrier in journalism, he worked for and established several media organizations in Cyprus.
In 1997, he started publishing his newspaper “Avrupa”. After two bombings and many court cases against it, the newspaper was closed. After the closing of Avrupa, he continued with the Afrika newspaper.
“Afrika” was the target of armed attacks twice in 2011. As a result of the instructions given by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to live television broadcasting in Turkey, on 22 January 2018, an organized mob attacked the newspaper to lynch its staff. Şener Levent, as owner and editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Afrika”, is still facing legal charges, including insulting of Erdoğan.
In 2018 he was honored by the European Parliament with the “European Citizen’s Prize”, while the “POLITICO” declared him as one of the 28 people who are forming the public opinion in Europe in 2019.
Şener Levent was a candidate for the European Parliament election with his “Jasmine Movement” in 2019.
He has published three books, which have been translated into Greek and English.
Şener Levent is the chief editor of “Avrupa” newspaper since 1997 and continues writing daily at the “Politis” newspaper since 2003.
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