HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICTUS XVI RECEIVED THE MARMARA FOUNDATION The President of the Marmara Group Foundation, Dr. Akkan Suver, together with His Holiness Pope Benedictus XVI and Msgr. Pier Luigi Celata THE MARMARA GROUP FOUNDATION IN VATICAN His Holiness Pope Benedictus XVI received the Marmara Group Foundation during their visit to Rome on the occasion of the meeting on the 150th anniversary of Turkish-Italian relations organized jointly by the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Italian Foreign Ministry. The Committee, headed by Dr. Akkan Suver and formed of Prof. Ilter Turan, member of the Marmara Group Foundation Academic Council and professor at Bilgi University, Journalist Leyla Tavsanoglu from Cumhuriyet newspaper and Businessman Cafer Okray, was received by the Pope in Vatican. Stating that the Marmara Group Foundation is one of the most important NGOs in Turkey, the Pope also said that he attached great importance to his visit to Turkey and that he would be accompanied by 2000 journalists during the visit. His Holiness stressed that they considered the Love and Peace Fast-breaking Dinners organized by the Marmara Group Foundation for the last ten years very important and that they participated in the fast-breaking nights twice on the ministerial level. The Pope added that the reception of our Foundation today was mostly the result of these efforts. On his part, Dr. Akkan Suver said that the Turkish nation and state were expecting to welcome His Holiness as the President and Religious Leader and added that few worrisome demonstrations should be taken as the merit of democracy. At the end of the reception, His Holiness wished well-being to the Turkish Nation and said that he believed his visit to Ankara, Izmir and Istanbul would open new horizons for the international peace and love.