Themes

Main Competition: Free Theme

Special Award: Empowered Girls, Empowered Futures
Theme: Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for All.
Focus on empowering girls and young women through equal opportunities, education, confidence, participation, and social inclusion.

Special Award: A Matter of Degrees
Theme: Climate Change.
Focus on climate change awareness, environmental protection, sustainability, and a sustainable future.

Submission Deadline

October 16, 2026

Participation Rules

The competition is open to professional and amateur cartoonists from all over the world.

Participants may submit cartoons on any theme.

All cartoons must be signed.

Only original artwork created entirely by the participant, from the initial concept to the final drawing, is eligible.

The use of any artificial intelligence tool, application, or algorithm at any stage of creating the artwork is strictly prohibited, including AI-generated imagery, drawing completion, stylization, background generation, and colorization.

By submitting an entry, participants declare that the artwork is entirely their own and complies with all competition requirements.

Any artwork found to have used AI or violated the originality requirements will be disqualified. If an award has already been granted, it will be revoked and all prize money must be returned.

By submitting the participation form, participants grant the Aydın Doğan Foundation a non-exclusive worldwide license, without limitation of time or territory, to reproduce, publish, distribute, exhibit, archive, display, and communicate the submitted works through any media.

Award-winning artists transfer ownership of the awarded original artwork and all related economic rights to the Aydın Doğan Foundation in accordance with Turkish Copyright Law No. 5846.

Participants guarantee that their submitted work does not infringe the rights of any third party. If any legal claim arises, the participant is fully responsible and any awarded prize may be withdrawn.

Personal data submitted with the entry will be processed in accordance with Turkish Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 for competition administration and related purposes.

The Foundation will cover the travel and accommodation expenses of the first three prize winners to attend the award ceremony.

Jury members may not participate in the competition during the year they serve on the jury.

The Aydın Doğan Foundation reserves the right to decide whether submitted cartoons will be included in its Digital Archive.

Cartoons submitted to previous editions of the Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition will not be reconsidered.

Uploaded artworks must be in high resolution suitable for printing.

Awards

Winner: USD 6,000 and the Aydın Doğan Foundation Winner Award

First Runner-up: USD 2,500 and the Aydın Doğan Foundation First Runner-up Award

Second Runner-up: USD 1,000 and the Aydın Doğan Foundation Second Runner-up Award

Empowered Girls, Empowered Futures Special Award: USD 3,000

A Matter of Degrees Special Award: USD 3,000

Links

Competition Website:
https://www.aydindoganvakfi.org.tr

Online Submission:
https://www.aydindoganvakfi.org.tr/cartooncompetition

Foundation Website:
https://www.aydindoganvakfi.org.tr