Baku, Azerbaijan, April 8. The 2025 Europe
Prize has been awarded by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE) to the city of Gaziantep in Türkiye, Trend reports via
PACE.
The prize is awarded each year to the city that has been most
active in promoting the European ideal.
Gaziantep is a city of 1,200,000 inhabitants located in
southeastern Anatolia. It has 25 twinned cities, including Duisburg
(Germany), Celje (Slovenia), Ostrava (Czech Republic), Braga
(Portugal), and Ludwigshafen (Germany). It is a key economic hub,
known for its industrial sector, particularly in textiles and
manufacturing, and is the first city in Türkiye to implement an
action plan against climate change. The city is also focused on
sustainability, urban development, smart-city applications,
environmental conservation, and the well-being of its
inhabitants.
Gaziantep is renowned for its international events, in
particular the annual International Gastronomy Festival. It
actively participates in European Mobility Week and celebrates
Europe Day. The city has been awarded the European Label of
Excellence in Governance (ELoGE).
Gaziantep has also shown remarkable solidarity and humanitarian
efforts, particularly in response to the Syrian refugee crisis and
the February 2023 earthquakes.
Finally, it is a member of 28 international networks, including
Eurocities, Energy Cities, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, and
the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye.
Created in 1955 by PACE, the Europe Prize is the highest
distinction awarded to a European city for its actions in the
European domain. The prize includes a trophy, a medal, a diploma,
and a grant to be used for a study visit to the European
institutions for young people from the winning city.
Five other cities—Augsburg and Münster in Germany, Birštonas in
Lithuania, Płońsk in Poland, and Vinnytsia in Ukraine—were
shortlisted for the prize, and the commission commended their
candidacies.
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