The 2025 Europe Prize has been awarded by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to the city of Gaziantep in Türkiye. 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 south-eastern 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. In addition, the commission awarded five Plaques of Honour, four Flags of Honour and nine European Diplomas, which also form part of the Europe Prize.
See here for the full list.
