2009 Sakıp Sabancı Lifetime Achievement Award Goes to Genco Erkal

This year, Genco Erkal received “Sakip Sabanci Lifetime Achievement Award” during the opening ceremony. Erkal, who received his award from the Sabanci Foundation’s President of the Board of Trustees Ms. Guler Sabanci, said during his speech that he has made it a habit to come to Adana at least once every year throughout his 50-year career to present one of his company’s productions. He said: “I have always admired the maturity, perceptiveness and the high quality of theatergoers in Adana.”

Recalling his company’s performance at the opening of the inaugural festival 10 years ago, Erkal said: “We opened the first festival with Nazim Hikmet’s ‘My People’. The late Sakip Sabanci, after watching the play from the front row, congratulated me with a hug in his unique enthusiasm. I am proud to be receiving this valuable award that was named after him, honoring the 50 years I have left behind.”