📣 The Alanya International Cartoon Competition, which began a quarter of a century ago, meets cartoonists from all over the world for the tenth time in 2026. Setting out in 2001, Alanya’s cartoon caravan continues its journey without ever losing its line, this time with the theme "Caravan".
❓ So why caravan? What is this caravan?
🧭 Caravan is, in fact, a word that carries multi-layered and profound meanings.
🐪 In dictionaries, it is defined as "a convoy of pack animals transporting goods and passengers between distant places". In the history and culture of Alanya, there are vivid examples of this very definition. In the past, many historic caravanserais were built along caravan routes connecting the Mediterranean to Anatolia and even farther geographies.
🏛️ Today these sites are still visited by "tourist caravans". On the other hand, the concept of the caravan also lies at the heart of the traditional nomadic Yörük lifestyle, which forms an essential part of Alanya’s cultural heritage.
🎭 On the other hand, in a telling alignment, the word caricature itself derives from the Latin verb caricare, meaning “to load”. It is therefore no coincidence that caricature has assumed the role of an expressive form that carries the entire weight of its time through the line…
🔄 Returning to the caravan… Of course, the meaning attributed to the word "caravan" is not limited solely to carrying loads. After all, words sometimes carry an extra load as well.…
📚 "Caravan" also finds its place in literature as a universal metaphor — referring both to the stages of an individual’s spiritual maturation journey and to the expression “the caravan of life” in the material world. When life is perceived as a caravan whose origin and destination are unknown, the world gains meaning as an inn, a caravanserai where these caravans temporarily rest. As the folk poet Aşık Veysel expresses in his famous lines:
🖊️ The moment I came into this world / I began to walk at the same time.
In an inn with two doors / I walk day and night…
🛣️ And of course, there are also today’s "motor caravans" which wear down the roads of our time and derive their name from the word "caravan". Entering French from Persian in the early 19th century with the meaning "covered horse-drawn wagon", the word "caravan" has today become an indispensable vehicle for free-spirited nature lovers who have turned being on the road into a philosophy of life.
🌐 Whether you think of the caravans of old times that brought different cultures together, the caravan of human life in this world or the modern caravan spirit that values the joy of the journey more than the destination...
👁️🗨️ From whichever angle you wish to look at it… 🖌️ However you wish to take part, you are all welcome…
🐪 Because this caravan is all of our caravan!
🎯 RULES
1. The theme of the competition is "Caravan" and contestants may interpret this theme freely.
2. The competition is open to cartoonists from all over the world. However, employees of Alanya Municipality and ALTAV, the organizers of the competition, as well as their relatives, are not eligible to participate.
3. Cartoons submitted to the competition may have been previously published in any medium; however, they must not have received an award in any other competition.
4. Each contestant may submit a maximum of five cartoons.
5. Contestants may apply to the competition only digitally via the official website https://ulakbel.alanya.bel.tr/WebBasvuru/10cartoon# until the final submission deadline of 01 April 2026. Submitted cartoons must be in A4 size, with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi, and in JPEG format. All required fields on the application form must be fully and accurately completed. The competition jury shall not be held responsible for submissions that do not meet the specified technical requirements, files that cannot be opened, or applications containing incomplete or incorrect information.
6. Cartoons identified as having been produced using artificial intelligence will be disqualified. If it is later determined that an awarded cartoon was AI-generated, the award will be deemed invalid.
7. Following the jury’s evaluation, the competition results and details of the award ceremony will be announced on 20 April 2026 at www.altav.org.tr and www.alanya.bel.tr.
8. Cartoons deemed worthy of exhibition by the jury will be exhibited at Kızılkule, which will be celebrating its 800th anniversary, as part of the 24th Alanya International Culture, Art and Tourism Festival, to be held between 22–24 May 2026, during which the award ceremony will also take place.
9. Award-winning artists who will attend the award ceremony are required to bring the original, wet-signed copies of their awarded cartoons with them. If an award-winning artist is unable to attend the award ceremony, the original, wet-signed copy of the relevant artwork must be sent by post no later than 20 May 2026, to the following address: Alanya Belediyesi Dış İlişkiler Birimi - Cumhuriyet Mah. Eğri Köprü Cad. No:66 Kat: 4 Alanya / Antalya – Türkiye
10. If a competition album is published featuring the exhibited cartoons, one free copy of the album will be sent to the postal addresses of the artists whose works are included. In the case of a digital album, the download link will be sent to the e-mail addresses of the artists whose works appear in the album. In addition, a "Certificate of Participation" will be sent digitally to the e-mail addresses of all contestants, and a "Finalist Certificate" will be sent digitally to the e-mail addresses of all finalists whose works are selected for exhibition.
11. Submitted cartoons will not be returned to their creators. All cartoons submitted to the competition, whether awarded or not, may be used by Alanya Municipality and ALTAV for cultural purposes. While the copyright of the submitted works remains with the artist, the artist consents to the use of these works by ALTAV and Alanya Municipality in products such as souvenirs sold for public benefit.
12. By participating in the competition, all contestants are deemed to have accepted these rules and conditions in advance.
🏆 I. GRAND PRIZES
🥇 First Prize: 70.000 TL Cash Award + One round-trip Airplane Ticket for one person to GZP–Alanya or Antalya Airport (22–25 May 2026) + Accommodation for two persons in Alanya with half-board (22–25 May 2026) + Transportation Transfers between airport and hotel + Alanya Sightseeing Tour + Plaque + Certificate.
🥈 Second Prize: 50.000 TL Cash Award + One round-trip Airplane Ticket for one person to GZP–Alanya or Antalya Airport (22–25 May 2026) + Accommodation for two persons in Alanya with half-board (22–25 May 2026) + Transportation Transfers between airport and hotel + Alanya Sightseeing Tour + Plaque + Certificate.
🥉 Third Prize: 30.000 TL Cash Award + One round-trip Airplane Ticket for one person to GZP–Alanya or Antalya Airport (22–25 May 2026) + Accommodation for two persons in Alanya with half-board (22–25 May 2026) + Transportation Transfers between airport and hotel + Alanya Sightseeing Tour + Plaque + Certificate.
⭐ II. SPECIAL MEMORY AWARDS
🏅 Special Award in Memory of Deniz Som: 15.000 TL Cash Award + Accommodation for two persons in Alanya with half-board (22–25 May 2026) + Transportation Transfers between airport and hotel + Alanya Sightseeing Tour + Certificate.
🏅 Special Award in Memory of Bedri Koraman: 15.000 TL Cash Award + Accommodation for two persons in Alanya with half-board (22–25 May 2026) + Transportation Transfers between airport and hotel + Alanya Sightseeing Tour + Certificate.
🏅 Special Award in Memory of İbrahim Tapa: 15.000 TL Cash Award + Accommodation for two persons in Alanya with half-board (22–25 May 2026) + Transportation Transfers between airport and hotel + Alanya Sightseeing Tour + Certificate.
🏅 Special Award in Memory of Musa Gümüş: 15.000 TL Cash Award + Accommodation for two persons in Alanya with half-board (22–25 May 2026) + Transportation Transfers between airport and hotel + Alanya Sightseeing Tour + Certificate.
⭐ III. HONOURABLE MENTION AWARDS
🎖 Alanya Municipality Honourable Mention Award: Accommodation for two persons in Alanya with half-board (22–25 May 2026) + Transportation Transfers between airport and hotel + Alanya Sightseeing Tour + Certificate.
🎖 Association of Cartoonists Honourable Mention Award: Accommodation for two persons in Alanya with half-board (22–25 May 2026) + Transportation Transfers between airport and hotel + Alanya Sightseeing Tour + Certificate.
🎖 Alanya Tourism Promotion Foundation (ALTAV) Honourable Mention Award: Accommodation for two persons in Alanya with half-board (22–25 May 2026) + Transportation Transfers between airport and hotel + Alanya Sightseeing Tour + Certificate.
🎖 Alanya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ALTSO) Honourable Mention Award: Accommodation for two persons in Alanya with half-board (22–25 May 2026) + Transportation Transfers between airport and hotel + Alanya Sightseeing Tour + Certificate.
🎖 Alanya Touristic Business Owners Association (ALTİD) Honourable Mention Award: Accommodation for two persons in Alanya with half-board (22–25 May 2026) + Transportation Transfers between airport and hotel + Alanya Sightseeing Tour + Certificate
🎖 Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) Honourable Mention Award: Accommodation for two persons in Alanya with half-board (22–25 May 2026) + Transportation Transfers between airport and hotel + Alanya Sightseeing Tour + Certificate.
👥 Jury Panel
🔗 Click here to learn more about the Jury Panel of the 10th International Alanya Cartoon Competition in Turkey.
