13/10/2025 Prizes | Parliamentary Network for a Healthy Environment
“Gaziantep exemplifies what it means to be a European city in the 21st century: an open, creative, resilient and supportive city,” said Miloš Konatar (Montenegro, SOC), Chairperson of the PACE Sub-Committee on the Europe Prize, at the ceremony of the official presentation of the 2025 Europe Prize, awarded by PACE. The Prize celebrates municipalities that demonstrate outstanding commitment to the European ideal through international cooperation, solidarity and civic engagement.
During the event, held at the Şehitkamil State Theatre, Mr Konatar presented the Europe Prize trophy and congratulated Fatma Şahin, Mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality. “Gaziantep is not only a city of culture and exchange, but also one of solidarity and resilience. It has welcomed half a million Syrian refugees, endured two earthquakes in 2023, and continues to lead by example as a pioneer in ecological transition -- the first municipality in Türkiye to adopt a Climate Action Plan,” he said.
The event was attended by numerous national and international dignitaries, including Mehmet Kemal Bozay, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye; Abdulhamit Gül, AK Party Group Deputy Chairperson and Member of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye; and Fuat Oktay, Former Vice-President of Türkiye and Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye.
On 9 October 2025, the PACE Parliamentary Network for a Healthy Environment, chaired by Aurora Floridia (Italy, SOC), held a series of thematic meetings in Gaziantep, reinforcing the link between environmental protection and democratic resilience.
