Aydin Cetinbostanoglu started photography at the end of the 1960s, holding his first exhibition in 1973 when he was in high school. His photography is influenced by his studies at the Faculty of Political Science at Ankara University as well as by current economic and social events. His photographs have appeared in various publications and exhibitions and have been featured on television.
This photograph depicts Turkish women who have been waiting for relatives who disappeared 20 years ago, it is thought, at the hands of former military dictators. Every Saturday at noon, these women gather with their photographs and flowers to tell their stories to those passing by, even on cold winter days. To this day, they are still waiting for news of their loved ones.
The Allard Prize Photography Competition jury selected this photograph as it depicts the profound and ongoing impact of forced disappearances on families and their communities, even decades later.