Bülent Kılıç

Bülent Kılıç (born 1979^[1]) is a Turkish photojournalist currently employed by the Agence France-Press (AFP) as the photo manager for Turkey.

Journalistic career

In the early 2000s he was a journalist for the local Turkish press, later specializing as a photographer.^[1] He began to work as a freelance journalist for AFP around 2003.^[2][3] In Ukraine, he covered the Ukrainian revolution,^[4] the search for survivors of the Malaysia airlines plane crash and the refugees fleeing the clashes between the pro-Russian militias and the Ukrainian military.^[4] In Turkey, he covered the Soma coal mine disaster,^[4] the aftermath of the funeral of Berkin Elvan,^[4] and the Kurdish Peshmerga passing through Sanliurfa on their way to defend Kobanî in Syria against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.^[4] During the annual Pride parade in Istanbul in 2021, he was briefly detained.^[5]

Photographic style

According to his own statement, his work has been influenced by the photographers Yuri Kozyrev and Robert Capa.^[3]

Personal life

He is married and has one son.^[3]

Recognition

• 2014 Exhibition Visa pour l'Image in Perpignan.^[1]
• 2014 Guardian photographer of the year.^[4]
• 2014 Time Wire Photographer of the year.^[6]
• 2015 1st in the section Spot News at the World Press Photo of the Year awards for his photograph of a wounded girl surrounded by Turkish police in the aftermath of the funeral of Berkin Evan^[7] and also the 3rd prize for his photograph documenting air strikes on militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).^[2]
• 2015 Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his photographs documenting the flight of the Kurds from the ISIL.^[8]

References

1. "From Kiev to Kobane". Visa pour l'Image. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
2. "2015 Bulent Kilic SN3 | World Press Photo". World Press Photo. Archived from the original on 2020-02-16. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
3. Laurent, Olivier (22 December 2014). "TIME Picks the Best Wire Photographer of the Year". Time. Archived from the original on 2014-12-22. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
4. "Photographer of the year 2014: Bulent Kilic – in pictures". The Guardian. 2014-12-29. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
5. "Istanbul: Authorities fire tear gas, make arrests at Pride march". Deutsche Welle. 26 June 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-26. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
6. "TIME Picks the Best Wire Photographer of the Year". Time. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
7. "2015 Bulent Kilic SN1 | World Press Photo". World Press Photo. Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
8. "Finalist: Bülent Kiliç of Agence France-Presse". Pulitzer Prize. Archived from the original on 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2021-06-27.