Biography of Dr. Akkan Suver
Dr. Akkan Suver has served as President of the internationally active Marmara Group Foundation since 1998. Between May 2008 and December 2019, he represented Montenegro in Istanbul as Honorary Consul for twelve years. He left this post in January 2020 when Montenegro opened an official consulate in Istanbul. During his tenure as Honorary Consul, Dr. Suver was Türkiye's first and only journalist-diplomat to hold an official Press Card.
Dr. Akkan Suver is the founder of the Eurasian Economic Summits, held continuously since 1998 and recognised internationally as a prestigious platform. He is a civil society leader known worldwide for his work on peace and intercultural dialogue. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Azerbaijan Tefekkür University in 2001, an Honorary Professorship from Bishkek University in Kyrgyzstan in 2010, and an Honorary Doctorate from Constanța Maritime University in Romania in 2013.
In recognition of the intercultural dialogue initiatives he launched in Türkiye and later carried into the international peace arena, Dr. Suver was awarded a Papal Medal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. He has also received the Progress Medal (2006) and the Order of Friendship (2011) from the State of Azerbaijan, and the Genghis Khan Medal (2006), Silver Star Medal (2009) and Polar Star Medal (2012) from the State of Mongolia.
In 2011–2012, he served as rotating President of the Bucharest-based Black Sea and Caspian Sea International Foundation (BSCIF).
In 2012, Akkan Suver's book “Montenegro” was published.
The Montenegrin edition of “Montenegro”, with a foreword by Prof. Dr. Šerbo Rastoder, was published in Podgorica.
On 14 February 2013, Dr. Akkan Suver received the Balkan Peace Medal from the Balkan Peace Club in recognition of his internationally acclaimed work on intercultural dialogue.
On 14 October 2014, he received the Order of Gagauzia, the highest decoration of Gagauzia, Moldova.
On 20 November 2014, marking the 25th anniversary of the end of communism, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta presented Dr. Akkan Suver with the Romanian State Decoration in Bucharest.
On 23 November 2014, former Chancellor Dr. Erhard Busek presented him with the Strategic Partner Award of the Vienna Economic Forum.
On 17 December 2014, Romania's Ambassador to Ankara, Radu Onofrei, personally presented Dr. Akkan Suver with the Turkish-Romanian Relations Friendship Award.
On 21 January 2014, Gagauzia's Governor Mihail Formuzal presented Dr. Akkan Suver with the 20th Anniversary Freedom Medal during events marking the twentieth anniversary of the autonomy adopted by the Moldovan Parliament on 23 December 1994.
In 2016, he was honoured by the State of Azerbaijan with the Energy Worker decoration. In the same year, the Life Learning Academy in Slovenia awarded him the Wise Ambassador diploma.
In 2017, he joined the academic staff of Istanbul Istinye University.
In 2017, Dr. Akkan Suver organised the 20th Eurasian Economic Summit.
On 9 June 2017, President Bujar Nishani presented Dr. Akkan Suver with Albania's State Civil Merit Decoration.
Also in 2017, the Vienna Economic Forum in Austria presented him with its Strategic Partner of the Year Award for his work on peace and dialogue in the Balkans.
In 2018, Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, awarded him the Royal Medal. He successfully chaired the 21st Eurasian Economic Summit on 11–12 April 2018.
On 12 November 2018, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen presented him with the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria in Ankara.
On 18 November 2018, he opened the Vienna Economic Forum as Guest of Honour in Vienna.
On 6–7 February 2019, he successfully chaired the 22nd Eurasian Economic Summit in Istanbul.
On 3 March 2019, the Sofia-based International Foundation for Sustainable Peace and Development awarded Dr. Akkan Suver, President of the Marmara Group Foundation, its Distinguished Service Medal.
On 21 March 2019, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov presented him with a Distinguished Service Medal.
In January 2020, he concluded his twelve-year service as Montenegro's Honorary Consul in Istanbul following the opening of an official Montenegrin consulate in the city.
On 6–7 October 2020, despite the coronavirus pandemic, he organised the 23rd Eurasian Economic Summit under the title “In the Light of the Belt and Road Initiative”, with the participation of 47 countries.
On 16 December 2020, the State of Montenegro appointed him Honorary Consul in Balıkesir.
On 24 December 2020, the Ministry of Diaspora of Azerbaijan honoured him with a Certificate of Appreciation for his solidarity during the Karabakh campaign.
On 5 March 2021, President Milo Đukanović granted Dr. Akkan Suver citizenship of Montenegro at a ceremony in Podgorica. At the same ceremony, President Đukanović presented him with Montenegro's Medal of Merit and his passport.
On 8–9 July 2021, despite the pandemic, Dr. Akkan Suver organised the 24th Eurasian Economic Summit under the theme “Humanity Deserves Better”, with the participation of 42 countries.
During the 24th Eurasian Economic Summit, the Azerbaijan Journalists' Union presented Dr. Akkan Suver with its Veteran Journalist Gold Medal.
On 13 August 2021, on the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and the People's Republic of China, China honoured Dr. Akkan Suver with the Golden Pen for his contributions to relations between the two countries.
On 7–9 June 2022, he organised the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit with the participation of 43 countries. During the Summit, the Federation of World Peace and Love in the United States presented him with a Peace Medal. At the same Summit, the Republic of Azerbaijan awarded Dr. Akkan Suver an Honorary Doctorate and the Vector Decoration.
In August 2022, his book “After the Age of 80” was published.
On 13–15 March 2023, he organised the 26th Eurasian Economic Summit in Istanbul with the participation of 44 countries.
On 10 November 2023, Akkan Suver's new book “A Past Without Regrets” was published.
On 12 November 2023, he opened the Vienna Economic Forum.
On 4 December 2023, he opened the World Media Summit in Guangdong, China.
On 21–22 February 2024, Dr. Akkan Suver organised the 27th Eurasian Economic Summit with the participation of 45 countries.
On 4 March 2024, the United Nations-based Federation of World Peace and Love (FOWPAL) presented Dr. Akkan Suver with the Love and Peace Medal.
On 6 April 2024, the Azerbaijani edition of Akkan Suver's book “After 80 Years” was published in Baku.
On 15 May 2024, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC), represented by its Chair-in-Office, Speaker of the Albanian Parliament Lindita Nikolla, and Secretary General Prof. Dr. Asaf Hajiyev, presented him with the Medal of Honour in Tirana.
On 6 August 2024, Dr. Akkan Suver received the State of Mongolia Medal of Honour, presented by Mongolia's Ambassador to Ankara at a major ceremony in Istanbul.
Over the years, Dr. Akkan Suver has received distinctions such as Journalist of the Year and Civil Society Leader of the Year from various national and international organisations.
He has represented the views of Turkish civil society at international meetings in Azerbaijan, the People's Republic of China, Romania, Spain, Austria, Moldova, Gagauzia, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovenia, Albania, Italy, France, Belgium, Greece, Turkmenistan, Serbia, Georgia and at the United Nations.
On behalf of Turkish civil society, he has also served as an international election observer at various elections held in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Ukraine.
One of Türkiye's well-known journalists and writers, Dr. Akkan Suver has had books published in Turkish, Azerbaijani, English and Montenegrin. He currently writes articles for the İzmir-based newspaper Gözlem.
