Atlas Network is proud to present the 2026 Europe Liberty Award to Freedom Research Association (Turkey). The award was accepted by İsrafil Özkan at Europe Liberty Forum 2026 in Berlin, Germany, held May 21–22, 2026.

The Europe Liberty Award is part of the Templeton Freedom Award prize program sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust—named for the late investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton. In addition to Europe, the program sponsors awards in Africa, Asia, Latin America, North America, and the Middle East and North Africa. Its grand prize, the Templeton Freedom Award, is presented annually at Atlas Network’s Liberty Forum & Freedom Dinner in New York City.

Freedom Research Association has become one of Turkey’s leading voices advancing institutional accountability, constitutional government, and market-oriented reform through rigorous research and sustained public engagement.

Through its Promoting Structural Reforms in Turkey initiative, the organization has spent six years producing deeply researched policy work examining judicial independence, economic governance, media regulation, legislative accountability, constitutional reform, and the rule of law. Its reports have informed parliamentary debate, legislative proposals, official committee findings, and broader public discussion around institutional reform in Turkey.

The initiative has also helped build a broad network of academics, policy experts, journalists, civil society leaders, and reform-minded policymakers committed to strengthening the institutions necessary for a freer and more prosperous society.

“This award reminds us that even when the work feels difficult and uncertain, it still matters," said İsrafil Özkan, Director of Freedom Research Association. "It tells us that we are seen, valued, and not alone,”

The Europe Liberty Award recognizes organizations whose work advances individual liberty, free enterprise, and the institutions of a free society across the region. Regional Liberty Awards are designed to identify and elevate organizations achieving exceptional results for freedom in their local contexts. By recognizing innovative reforms, principled leadership, and measurable impact, Atlas Network helps successful ideas spread across borders and strengthens relationships among freedom champions throughout the worldwide freedom movement.

This year’s finalists were Institut Ostrom Catalunya (Spain) and Lithuanian Free Market Institute (Lithuania).

Institut Ostrom Catalunya was recognized for its multi-year campaign reducing bureaucratic barriers and expanding economic freedom through structural deregulation reforms in Catalonia. Lithuanian Free Market Institute was recognized for its nationally adopted I, Citizen initiative, which is reshaping civic and economic education around the principles of individual responsibility, free enterprise, and citizenship rooted in liberty.

Together, this year’s finalists demonstrate the diverse ways freedom is advanced across Europe through institutional reform, economic liberalization, and the long-term cultivation of a culture of liberty.