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Renowned photojournalist Garbis Özatay passes away on World Photography Day

Renowned photojournalist Garbis Özatay passed away on August 19, World Photography Day. A member of the Journalists Association of Turkey (TGC), Özatay produced unforgettable images throughout his career spanning nearly half a century and was honored with the 2019 Burhan Felek Press Service Award.

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One of the master figures of the Turkish press, Journalists Association of Turkey (TGC) member and photojournalist Garbis Özatay, passed away on August 19, World Photography Day. Having stepped into the profession at a young age, Özatay was known for the awards he won in journalism and the historic images he captured.

In the condolence message published by the TGC, attention was drawn to Özatay's contributions to the profession, and the following statements were included:

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Garbis Özatay, one of our former board members who served the journalism profession successfully for many years. We will never forget him. We extend our condolences to our colleague's family and our press community.”


WHO IS GARBİS ÖZATAY?

Born in Istanbul in 1946, Garbis Özatay was introduced to photography in 1962. Inspired by masters such as Ara Güler in the art of photography, Özatay began his career as a photojournalist at the Turkish News Agency (THA) in 1966 by photographing the sinking of the "Yeniköy" passenger ferry and the underwater images of the "Yeni Galatasaray" motorboat.

After learning color photography in the studio of advertising photographer Sami Güner, he became a staff member at THA in 1969. In 1970, he won the Journalists Association of Turkey's "Journalism Achievement Award" in the photography category. Having been deemed worthy of numerous awards both domestically and internationally, Özatay succeeded in capturing moments that left their mark on the agendas of Turkey and the world.

In 1996, he made a significant impact by photographing the moment SAS commandos planted a flag on the rocks during the Kardak Crisis. In 1997, he was the recipient of the Sedat Simavi Photography Award. Having worked for Milliyet newspaper for many years, Özatay later served at Cumhuriyet and Güneş newspapers.

After retiring following his 19-year tenure at Milliyet, Özatay undertook unforgettable projects throughout his professional life. He was honored with the Burhan Felek Press Service Award in 2019 and served on the TGC Board of Directors between 2023 and 2025.

Married and a father of two, Garbis Özatay left lasting marks not only on the world of journalism but also on Turkey's cultural memory.