Names who rejected awards from FETÖ's closed foundation are back on the agenda! Here are those artists and what they said...

Fethullah Gülen, the mastermind behind the July 15 coup attempt, has died. It was announced that the ringleader Gülen had passed away in a post shared on "Herkülnağme", one of the social media accounts most frequently used by the organization's leadership.

Following this death, which has become a trending topic on social media, memories were stirred of the celebrities who, years ago, refused to accept an award from an organization linked to Gülen during an award ceremony held by his foundation.

The Journalists and Writers Foundation, founded by Fethullah Gülen and shut down following the July 15 coup attempt, sought to present a special award in the year 2000 to figures who had completed 25 years in the arts sector.

Erkam Tufan Aytam, the foundation's Press Department Head, had stated, "Only two names rejected our award: Edip Akbayram and Macide Tanır." However, the newspaper Aydınlık later revealed the names of the famous figures who had actually rejected the award.

HERE ARE THE FAMOUS FIGURES WHO REJECTED THE AWARD...

Edip Akbayram

He rejected the award, saying, "I did not accept this award because I am an intellectual of this Republic."

Macide Tanır

"Being honest and honorable in this country has become extraordinary. I was born with the principles of the Republic and Atatürk, and I will die with them."

Tarık Akan

"They call me every 2-3 years. I always refuse, and I refused this year as well. They sent a fax with a list of people they were going to give awards to. I didn't even look at it. I have no business with Fethullahists or religious groups; they cannot come near me!"

Yıldız Kenter

"I was very uncomfortable; we hadn't looked at it carefully anyway. After asking who invited us, we learned that Fethullah Gülen was the Honorary President of the foundation. I wouldn't have gone anyway."

Ferhan Şensoy

"The offer came, I did not accept it. I thought it was an unserious offer. After all, it is a foundation whose goals we know."

Esin Afşar

"Even if the offer had come to me, I would not have gone to an award ceremony of the Fethullahists anyway."

Mücap Ofluoğlu

"The offer came, we did not accept it. We said that we would not do business with those who oppose Atatürk."

Göksel Kortay

"The offer came, but I did not accept it."

Müşfik Kenter

"The offer came, I did not go. I did not accept it."

Semiha Berksoy

Zeliha Berksoy, daughter of the first Turkish female opera singer Semiha Berksoy, made a statement on her mother's behalf: "My mother could not meet with reporters because she was unwell. The offer came, we did not accept it. We know what the foundation is."

Erol Günaydın

"I do not attend award ceremonies, and I certainly do not attend political ceremonies. It is against my principles. What am I going to do with this award?"

Kemal Sunal