Three generations of Greek-Turkish friendship. Rahmi Koç honored Nikos Vernicos on the Bosphorus

On Wednesday evening, at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum, located in the historic shipyards of Istanbul, the skyline across the Golden Horn was dominated by the majestic silhouette of the Phanar Greek Orthodox College. Yet there are also more modest reminders of the centuries-long Greek presence in the city that quietly tell their own story.

One such reminder is the yellow tugboat bearing the Vernicos name and the title “Irini,” now a living exhibit at the museum alongside an impressive collection of historic vessels, automobiles, bicycles, and motorcycles assembled over decades by Turkish industrialist Rahmi Koç. Widely respected for his longstanding friendship with the Ecumenical Patriarch and his warm ties with Greece, Koç hosted an evening attended by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, dedicated to another close friend: Nikos A. Vernicos. Attending were distinguished Greek and Turkish guests who gathered to celebrate his remarkable legacy.

Few may know that the Vernicos family’s entrepreneurial journey began in Istanbul in 1850. It was then that the family’s great-grandfather, Manolis Vernicos, settled in the city and began transporting passengers across the Bosporus. His business evolved from rowing boats to sailing vessels, and later to steam-powered boats under his son, Nikos E. Vernicos, grandfather of the current shipowner, who built a small fleet of tugboats and rescue vessels.

In 1920, Nikos E. Vernicos relocated the family’s maritime operations to Piraeus. There, the company endured the bombing of the port by advancing German forces in 1941. Later, when the United States transferred the famous Liberty ships to Greece, several auxiliary vessels were included. One of these was the tugboat “Irini”, built in the United States in 1944 and named after Nikos Vernicos’ grandmother. It remained in active service until 2002.

That year, Nikos A. Vernicos and his wife Varvara donated “Irini” to the Rahmi M. Koç Museum, honouring both the family’s business origins in Istanbul and the enduring friendship between the Vernicos and Koç families, a relationship that has now extended to the younger generations, represented today by Demilia Kampouridi and Leyla Koç.

It was therefore fitting that numerous members of both families, along with close friends from Athens and Istanbul, attended the celebration. In his address, Nikos Vernicos thanked Rahmi Koç for the tribute and reflected on their first meeting through the Greek-Turkish Business Council in the 1990s, organised by Symeon Tsomokos, who was also present. As head of the Greek committee of the International Chamber of Commerce, the Greek shipowner emphasised the vital role of entrepreneurship, investment, and trade in fostering friendship and understanding between people.

“They are catalysts for peace and Rahmi Koç himself is a leading figure who has consistently placed these forces in the service of peace and reconciliation, setting an example through countless initiatives.” He also highlighted the pivotal role of the Ecumenical Patriarch, whose continuous efforts and important initiatives have long promoted dialogue, peace, and mutual understanding.

Clearly moved by the occasion, Rahmi Koç spoke of his decades-long friendship with the Ecumenical Patriarch and reflected on the enduring bond between the Koç and Vernicos families, a friendship that has only grown stronger over time. He concluded by wishing for “many more years” of shared friendship and cooperation.

Events such as this remind us that, between two countries often associated with tensions and disagreements, enduring personal relationships, business partnerships, and shared history can serve as powerful bridges, highlighting not what divides us, but what we have in common.