The Marmara Foundation presented George Marovich, Turkey Representative of the Vatican, an Honorary Medal for his great contributions to intercultural dialogue. Marovich was badly wounded in a train accident in Rome in 2007.
President of the Marmara Foundation Dr. Akkan Suver, Istanbul's Mufti Mustafa Çağrıcı, Polish Consul General of Istanbul Miroslaw Stavski, Mayor of Istanbul's Şişli District Mustafa Sarıgül and representatives of the Patriarchate and the Catholic Church attended the ceremony which was held at the Artigiana nursing home, where Marovitch has been staying since he received treatment at the Surp Agop Armenian Hospital.
Dr. Akkan Suver thanked Marovich for all his contributions to the peace and intercultural dialogue, added that, "We, as the Marmara Foundation, decided to present him Medal of Honour in the light of his great efforts for Istanbul and Turkey".
At the Ceremony, Çağrıcı said it was a speacial moment for him to be in the Ceremony held by the Marmara Foundation for his friend Marovich. Stating that he called Marovich after the accident, Çağrıcı said he and Marovich came together for several platforms for more than five years and that they participated in intercultural meetings in Turkey and abroad.
Attending the Ceremony in a wheelchair, Marovich thanked everybody and said being awarded the Medal was a big honor fir him. Recalling that the accident occured when he was waiting for a train to Rome in order to attend the commemoration ceremonies for Pope John Paul XXIII, he said he felt like he was dying when he was stuck between the train and the platform. "Now the best thing I can do for you is to pray" he said.
