Rahmi M. Koç Museum, Türkiye's renowned industrial museum, has been bestowed with a prestigious state medal for its exceptional efforts in fostering cultural ties between Italy and Türkiye.
The distinguished accolade, known as the "Order of the Star of Italy," was presented to Mine Sofuoğlu, the general director of Rahmi M. Koç Museum, during a grand ceremony held on May 9, at Istanbul's illustrious Venetian Palace, the residence of the Italian Embassy. This remarkable honor also bestowed upon her the coveted title of knight, recognizing her outstanding contributions to the realm of cultural exchange.
Speaking after the ceremony, Sofuoğlu said: "I am very proud on behalf of Rahmi M. Koç Museum and myself to be deemed worthy of such a prestigious award and title. I am grateful to our founder, Mr. Rahmi M. Koç, and my colleagues for their support."
The order, given to individuals who strengthen the bond of friendship between the two countries with the recommendations of the Italian ambassador to Ankara and the approval of the president of Italy, was presented by Italian Ambassador to Türkiye Giorgio Marrapodi.
'Cultural bridge'
Sofuoğlu emphasized that they have had close relations with Italy since she started working at Rahmi M. Koç Museum.
"For many years, we have been serving as a cultural bridge between the two countries. We have had many opportunities to work together. As examples from the past few years, in 2019, we hosted the exhibition 'Memory Task: Shipwrecks' consisting of photographs by Italian photographer and sculptor Stefano Benazzo. Last year, we made efforts to contribute to the promotion of Italian design in Türkiye with the event Italian Design Days," Sofuoğlu said.
"We also brought together our visitors with the solo exhibition 'Seas and Beyond' by Italian painter Lorenzo Mariotti. Just a short while ago, the same model of the Fiat Zero car used by our great leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on the Gallipoli Front, which was the last example of the model in Italy, was brought to our museum as a gift by Tofaş and has been on display. We are also delighted to be working together with our Italian partners, Foggia University and Meridaunia, in the CULTURATI project, supported by the European Union's 'Horizon Europe' program, which we started working on this year," she added.