A Turkish educational association in Germany has been awarded a special prize for promoting social cohesion and democracy.
The Regine Hildebrandt Prize -- named after a prominent East German scientist and democracy activist -- is given to an institution which has achieved significant goals in social integration.
Germany's Social Democratic Party Vice President Manuela Schwesig presented €20,000 ($24,000) to Fatih Türk, founder of the Sport and Education School Kahramanlar ("Heroes" in Turkish), during a ceremony at the party headquarters in Berlin.
Schwesig said during Sunday evening's ceremony that the association was entitled to receive the award for its contributions to "social justice and peace."
Receiving the prize, Türk said the school, founded 11 years ago, provides opportunities in eight different sports for young people from many nationalities.
The school, based in Bruhl, 20 kilometers south of Cologne's city center, was also praised by the government for its contribution to integration through sports in 2015 and 2016.
Run by the SPD, the social integration prize has been awarded annually since 2002 on Nov. 26, the date of Hildebrandt's death.
