Two great masters of photography, Ara Güler and Coşkun Aral, presented a joint exhibition at the Millî Reasürans Art Gallery on February 14th.

The photography exhibition, titled "This Is Our World," presents images from regions of the world experiencing suffering, despair, and war. Ara Güler describes the exhibition as follows: "This is not an art exhibition… We hope that the viewer who sees this exhibition, which reflects only a small portion of what is happening around the world, will think a little more about the world they live in when they go home."

Coşkun Aral, who began his career as a press photographer in 1974 and has been a war correspondent for the last 15 years, will present a slice of the wars he has covered in this exhibition. From Palestine to Cambodia, Northern Ireland to Chad, the Philippines to Sarajevo—in short, he has collected images from every city and town where suffering has been felt—and will tell the story of people who have lived through war through his photographs.

Coşkun Aral, a member of the post-Vietnam generation of war correspondents who has worked for magazines such as Time, Newsweek, Paris-Match, Stern, and Epoca for nearly 15 years, states that wars are more prevalent in places where feudal relations are intense. Coşkun Aral, who published two books in the US in 1995: "War: Dangerous Light" and "The World's Most Dangerous Places," says, "Whether in Northern Iraq, the Philippines, or Vietnam, the causes of war are always economic; but the justifications vary."

Agreeing with Ara Güler, who said, "We are not photographers, we are photojournalists!", Coşkun Aral says, "We are not artists, but war correspondents definitely have an affinity for art, are keen art enthusiasts, and have an aesthetic concern. For example, I am a Rembrandt enthusiast. I look for a Rembrandt light in every photograph I take."

Millî Reasürans Art Gallery Director and exhibition curator Amelié Edgü emphasizes that Ara Güler and Coşkun Aral reflect the multifaceted prism of our world with their sensitive lenses.