Takis Hadjidemetriou and Ali Tuncay are among the 47 winners of the European Citizen's Prize 2015 of the European Parliament. Since 2008, the prize has been awarded to citizens or organisations having contributed to promoting better mutual understanding and closer integration between citizens or to facilitating cross-border or transnational cooperation within the EU.
The winners will receive a medal of honour at an award ceremony Cyprus and will be invited to a joint event in Brussels in October.
Takis Hadjidemetriou and Ali Tuncay were proposed by MEPS Takis Hadjigeorgiou (GUE) and Neoklis Sylikiotis (GUE) who underlined that the two nominees for the Prize have contributed enormously in the recording, preservation and restoration of the cultural heritage (Christian and Muslim) of all communities in Cyprus. In addition their actions promote the concept of peaceful cooperation and partnership and they can be an example for young people of both Communities on the island.
The winners were selected on Wednesday 3 June by a Chancellery in Brussels, chaired by Vice-President Sylvie Guillaume (S&D, FR). The Members of the Chancellery are: Vice-Presidents Ildikó Gáll-Pelcz (EPP, HU), Olli Rehn (ALDE, FI), Dimitrios Papadimoulis (GUE/NGL, EL) and Ryszard Czarnecki (ECR, PL), former EP Presidents Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP, DE) and Enrique Barón Crespo (S&D, ES) and eminent personalities Hannes Swoboda (S&D, AT) and Jose Manuel Barroso (EPP, PT).
The Award was established in 2008 as a reward for outstanding achievements of citizens, groups, associations or organisations that have demonstrated exceptional commitment in the promotion of a better mutual understanding and a closer integration between the citizens of the Member States and to facilitate the cross-border or supranational cooperation, within the EU. These achievements may also include activities or citizens' actions involved in a long-term, cross-border or supranational cultural cooperation, which contributes to the strengthening of the European spirit.
Each MEP is able to make one nomination per year. A National Jury is established in each Member State, responsible for the selection of the proposed candidates, and the final selection of the winners is made by the European Citizen's Prize Chancellery in Brussels.
