Mayor of Istanbul wins Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award for defending local democracy

For his unyielding defence of democracy, solidarity and the independence of local government facing autocratic tendencies and attempts at disqualification, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul, has been awarded the fifth edition of the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award. Special recognition of the jury went to Mary Crilly, founder and director of the Sexual Violence Centre in Cork, Ireland. The award, which was established to promote the legacy of Mayor Paweł Adamowicz, was announced on Tuesday, 13 January, at the Institute for Culture of the city and will be presented during the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels on 4-5 March.

The prize, awarded for the fifth time, was established by the European Committee of the Regions in cooperation with the City of Gdańsk and the International Network of Cities of Refuge (ICORN). It is awarded to local leaders – in politics or civil society – who fight autocracy, intolerance, hate speech and xenophobia. It commends the work of all elected representatives, officials, organisations and ordinary citizens who, despite threats, are working to make democracy work at the local level, supporting better and more open communities. As part of the inter-institutional cooperation for the promotion of the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award, Members of the European Parliament also participated in the nomination process and in the decision of the Jury.

The jury decided that the winner of the fifth edition of the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award is: Ekrem İmamoğlu, democratically elected mayor of Istanbul and chairman of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey. Despite the risks, he consistently promoted inclusive and transparent urban policies and fought for democratic rights at the local level.  He was arrested and removed from his position on 19 March 2025, along with more than 100 city officials on politically motivated charges. 27 other mayors have been dismissed by the Turkish governments, 11 of which were replaced by government appointed trustees. The arrests of opposition mayors has been condemned by the CoR as well as by the European Parliament and the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. Ekrem İmamoğlu’s leadership is characterised by his work to transcend political, ethnic, and religious divisions, to promote unity and dignity. He transformed Istanbul into a citizen-centred governance model. His administration has introduced transparent budgeting, digital participation tools, gender-equality programmes and climate-friendly policies. These efforts have redefined local democracy as a practice of solidarity and justice. Ekrem İmamoğlu has become a symbol of courage, integrity and democratic renewal in Turkey and beyond. Nuri Aslan, acting Mayor of Istanbul, thanked the jury for the award on the laureate's behalf.

The jury also decided to award Special recognition to Mary Crilly, founder and director of the Cork Centre for Sexual Violence. For four decades, Mary Crilly has been one of the most important figures in the Irish movement for human rights, equality and non-discrimination. She is particularly known for her consistent and effective work for changes in public policy and legislation on sexual violence, domestic violence and sex-trafficking. Her work has contributed to a fundamental change in the social and institutional approach to violence against women in Ireland.

The fifth edition of the  Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award received 25 nominations, of whom five were shortlisted. 

The other shortlisted nominees were (in alphabetical order):

• Alexei Gorinov, Russian human rights defender, opposition politician, former member of the city council of the Krasnoselsky district in Moscow and member of the Solidarity movement;
• Pinar Selek, Turkish sociologist and human rights activist;
• Tiro Association for Arts, a pioneering cultural institution in Lebanon.

The official ceremony awarding the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award will take place in March during a Plenary Session of the European Committee of the Regions.

Quotes:

Nuri Aslan, Acting Mayor of Istanbul: "I would like to extend my greetings and appreciations to Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, the democratically elected Mayor of Istanbul and the Republican People's Party presidential candidate, who has been unjustly and illegally imprisoned for 10 months. I know that all good people in the world believe in democracy and are brave – just like Paweł Adamowicz. His legacy calls us, especially in difficult times, to speak out, to oppose fear and to stand firm in defending our common commitment to living in community. The values he defended at the cost of his life continue to be a signpost for all of usThe Paweł Adamowicz Award is awarded to those who decide to protect the light in dark times, who dare to take risks and who consider democracy to be a way of life. The fact that Ekrem İmamoğlu – three times elected mayor of Istanbul's free will, and at the same time a presidential candidate for the Republican People's Party, with the votes of 15.5 million citizens – was considered worthy of this award is more than just an individual achievement. It is international recognition of an attitude that listens to the voices of millions, nurtures hope and courageously defends local democracy. We accept this award with great honour on behalf of all those who speak out in spite of fear, who do not reject justice and who dream of a more equal and free future."

Mary Crilly, founder and director of the Sexual Violence Centre in Cork, Ireland: "I have been working for over four decades in a small centre in Cork, Ireland, a country that has struggled with silence around human trafficking and sexual violence for years. Many times they tried to silence us, because what we said was inconvenient. And yet, seeing the injustice, we knew that it was our duty to act," said Mary Crilly during the ceremony in Gdańsk. "Thanks to determination and cooperation, it was possible to force the society to listen and really help hundreds, if not thousands, of women and men who have experienced violence and today can lead a dignified life. There were moments of doubt and desperation, but we must not give in to them. For me, this award is primarily an expression of recognition for victims of violence who dared to tell their stories. It's proof that their voice matters and that change is possible."

Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions: "The Paweł Adamowicz Prize is a reminder that democracy, openness and solidarity are not slogans, but the daily practice of local communities. At a time of increasing polarization and hate speech, this distinction sends a clear message: there is no place for exclusion in Europe. Europe is built from the ground up – in cities and regions, so we are proud to support those who defend its fundamental values, often without publicity, but with great courage."

Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of Gdańsk: "Seven years after the tragic events that took place not far from here, memory may blur some images. That is why, together with partners from the European Committee of the Regions and the International Network of Cities of Refuge ICORN, we established the Paweł Adamowicz Award. It is a distinction for people and institutions who, in their daily work, not only talk about the values close to President Paweł Adamowicz, but actually practice them: democracy, freedom, tolerance, the fight against hatred, and above all, respect and equality of every person. We already have a plethora of excellent winners, both well-known people and those whose names do not make the front pages of newspapers. They have one thing in common: daily, consistent work for the benefit of others, regardless of whether they operate on the border of Palestine and Israel, Italy and the Balkans, or – like one of the first winners – in the Podlaskie commune, which has opened its heart to refugees on the Polish-Belarusian border. This Award shows that you don't have to be a president or an official to effectively oppose evil and defend the dignity of another human being – regardless of who they are, what they believe in, what they look like, what gender or origin they are. The Paweł Adamowicz Award will last as long as its winners implement the values in which the Mayor believed so deeply in everyday life."

Magdalena Adamowicz, member of the European Parliament and widow of Paweł Adamowicz: "Each of the nominees in the 5th edition of the Paweł Adamowicz Award proves with their lives that the values that Paweł lived by, and the unwavering courage in defending them, are universal, human values, important in every culture, religion and political system. From the bottom of my heart, I congratulate and thank the nominees. What they do and what price they pay for it reminds us of one thing: we must never stop supporting people who save our civilisation".

Jelena Drenjanin, long-standing member of the Jury and chair of the CoR's Working Group on Türkiye and Chair of the Governance Committee at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe said: "Ekrem İmamoğlu embodies the values of democracy, liberty, freedom of expression and opinion in the face of rising political oppression in Türkiye. Imamoglu is a leader who lives and works with the convictions of Pawel Adamowicz."

For more information:

Paweł Adamowicz was stabbed on 13 January 2019 during a speech at a charity event. His assassination was preceded by an increase in hate speech directed against him. His last words, spoken just before the attack, were: "Gdańsk is generous, Gdańsk shares its good, Gdańsk wants to be a city of solidarity. It's a great time to share good. You are loved. Gdańsk is the most wonderful city in the world. Thank you!" He was committed to promoting the EU's fundamental values and was an active member of the European Committee of the Regions.

In 2025 Vitaliy Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv (Ukraine), became the fourth laureate of Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award. He was nominated for his extraordinary leadership in fostering civic engagement, even amidst the extreme challenges of war. Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan from the Parents' Circle Family Forum received special recognition from the jury as symbols of tolerance and beacons of hope and solidarity for their efforts to bring reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis against the folly of hate and conflict. Other former laureates are: the Mayor of Cologne (Germany), Henriette Reker; the citizens and the Mayor of Michałowo (Poland), Marek Nazarko; and the Italian NGO from Brescia, Local Democracy Agency Zavidovići, Special Recognition awards have been given on two other occasions: in 2023, to the Mayor of Hola Prystan in Ukraine, Oleksandr Babich, who was abducted and remains imprisoned by the Russian occupiers; and in 2024 to  Alla Myronova, Mayor of Inhulka, in Ukraine, for her courageous stand on behalf of her community, especially during Russian occupation.

The artist behind the statuette, which will go to the winner, is the sculptor Krzysztof Bednarski. The statuette depicts a bird in flight, as a sign of freedom and independence. The bird soars from a world plunged into darkness towards light.The European Committee of the Regions (CoR), as the political assembly of local and regional representatives in the EU and on the initiative of the Polish delegation to the CoR, unanimously adopted a resolution in February 2019 condemning hate speech and threats of all kinds against political leaders. The CoR, at its plenary session in November 2022, adopted recommendations in support of the European Commission's proposals to add hate speech and hate crimes to the list of offences recognised in EU policy via opinion on "Extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crimes" – drafted by Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, who succeeded Paweł Adamowicz as Mayor of Gdańsk.

The International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) is an international organisation of 80 cities and regions in Europe and beyond, offering safe haven to persecuted writers and artists, advancing freedom of expression, defending democratic values and promoting international solidarity. More than 250 writers and artists have been offered residency in an ICORN city. In a safe environment, they continue to play a vital role, both in highlighting violations of human rights and free speech in their home countries, and in supporting colleagues in their country of origin. Mayor Paweł Adamowicz brought the City of Gdańsk into ICORN in August 2017.

Website with information about Paweł Adamowicz and the anniversary of his murder

Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award - website: #AdamowiczAward

Photos from the Ceremony in Gdańsk