Zeynep Oral
Journalist and columnist for the newspaper 'Cumhuriyet', is a theatre critic, cultural editor and activist for peace and women’s rights
A graduate of the École Supérieure de Journalisme in Paris, and in Theatre Studies from the Sorbonne, in 1972 she founded the Turkish cultural supplement Cultural Review—now a key reference—which she headed until 2001. Much of her professional life has been devoted to building bridges between social issues and the domain of culture, and she has received the UNESCO Mothers for Peace Prize (2000), the France’s Chevalier Des Arts et Lettres award, as well as other prizes in recognition of her work. She is a founder of WINPEACE (Women’s Initiative for Peace) which works to favour relations between Greece and Turkey. Furthermore, she is honorary vice-president of the International Association of Theatre Critics and adviser to the International Istanbul Theatre Festival.
Update: 14 November 2016