Turkish journalist receives Spanish Order of Merit

Journalist, academic and columnist Professor L. Doğan Tılıç has been honored by Spanish authorities with a Civil Order of Merit for his successful career as a member of the press.

Tılıç received the Civil Order of Merit on June 15 from Spain's ambassador to Turkey, Javier Hergueta Garnica, at the embassy in Ankara.

Tılıç, a veteran journalist and also an academic, has been working at the Spanish News Agency (EFE) since 1988.

He gave lectures as an instructor at Turkey's Middle East Technical University (METU) and Başkent University. Tılıç is also collaborating with training programs at Spain's Malaga University.

In his over 30 years of experience working as a journalist, Tılıç worked in conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Yugoslavia and Azerbaijan in the 1980s and 1990s.

He also assumed prominent leading positions in his journalism career, such as becoming the head of the Association of European Journalists (AEJ).

Tılıç reived Spain's prestigious Cirilo Rodriguez journalism award in 2017, UNESCO Press Freedom award in 2016 and the International Press Freedom Award of Malaga University in 2006.